Japan's Princess Aiko Offers Condolences for Disaster Victims

Tokyo, Aug. 17 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Princess Aiko, the only child of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, on Monday offered her condolences for victims of a major earthquake in Kumamoto Prefecture in July and last week's downpour in Chiba Prefecture.

"I sincerely hope that people (in the affected areas) will return to their peaceful everyday lives soon," Princess Aiko said in a speech at the opening ceremony of the International Conference on the Physics of Semiconductors in Tokyo.

Referring to the conference, Princess Aiko said it was greatly significant that active debates were showing the way to progress in science and technology and a better society and also nurturing new cooperation beyond disciplines and borders.

END

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]