Showa 100th Anniversary Event Held in Tokyo

Tokyo, April 29 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government held a ceremony to mark this year's 100th anniversary of the 1926 start of the Showa era at Tokyo's Nippon Budokan hall on Wednesday, Showa Day, a national holiday.

Delivering a speech at the event, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi looked back on the history of the Showa era and said, "Isn't it time that we learn from our predecessors, who lived through the tumultuous Showa era, overcame the war and numerous disasters and forged hope, and that we boldly take on new challenges?"

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended the ceremony, along with about 5,620 people, including the heads of both chambers of the Diet, Japan's parliament., the chief justice of the Supreme Court and representatives from various fields.

"The Showa period was a time when we experienced unprecedented changes such as the war, the end of the war, reconstruction and rapid economic growth," Takaichi said. "On this occasion, I want to think about the future while looking back on the Showa era and appreciating the weight of Japan's traditions and history."

The prime minister pointed out that Japan currently faces a declining birthrate and population, rising prices and the most severe security environment since World War II. She emphasized: "A country that does not take on challenges has no future. Politics that merely seeks to protect will not create hope."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]