The Empress Emerita turned 88 on Thursday.
These days she leads an orderly life at the Akasaka Estate in Moto-Akasaka, Tokyo, taking a walk in the morning and early evening with the Emperor Emeritus. They moved back to the estate, which is filled with their fond memories, in April.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, she and the Emperor Emeritus spent 33 years after their wedding at the estate, where they now admire seasonal flowers, such as roses and sunflowers, while sharing the memories the flowers bring back. After breakfast, she keeps to a daily routine of reading books aloud with the Emperor Emeritus. Currently, she is reading textbooks from the Emperor Emeritus' elementary school days at Gakushuin Primary School in Tokyo. They also share the reading of six newspapers, each reading three of them and telling each other about interesting stories they have found.
