President Halimah Yacob and Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong have written to His Majesty Emperor Akihito, the Emperor of Japan on his abdication from the throne. The text of the letters are appended.
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MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
SINGAPORE
30 APRIL 2019
Letter from President Halimah Yacob to His Majesty Emperor Akihito, the Emperor of Japan
30 April 2019
His Majesty the Emperor
Japan
Your Majesty
On behalf of the people of Singapore, I would like to convey my deep respect and appreciation to Your Majesty as you relinquish your position as Emperor of Japan today.
Your Majesty leaves behind an indelible legacy for Japan. Your tireless and selfless efforts in working for the people of Japan have become synonymous with the peace and stability of the Heisei period. This is evidenced by the travels of Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress to all 47 prefectures of Japan over the past 30 years, in particular the disaster areas to reach out to and provide comfort to those affected. The strength and stoicism of the Japanese people in overcoming adversity have left deep impressions all over the world in this regard. Your Majesty will be remembered as a well-respected monarch who has displayed compassion, dedication to peace, and wholehearted devotion to your country and people.
I would also like to place on record my deep appreciation for Your Majesty’s strong support of the friendship between Singapore and Japan over the past half century. Singapore-Japan relations have developed dynamically, underpinned by regular political exchanges, robust economic links and deepening people-to-people ties. Many in Singapore fondly recallYour Majesties’ first visit to Singapore as Crown Prince and Princess in 1970. We were honoured to welcome Your Majesties again in 1981 and 2006, the latter on a State Visit in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries. Your Majesties graciously hosted Singapore’s first State Visit to Japan by then-President S R Nathan in 2009, as well as then-President Tony Tan’s State Visit on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of Singapore-Japan relations in 2016. Just like the pair of King Sago Palms Your Majesties planted in the Japanese Garden in Singapore in 1970, the enduring friendship between Singapore and Japan continues to stand firm and strong today.
I wish Your Majesty and Her Majesty the Empress continued good health and happiness.
Yours sincerely
HALIMAH YACOB
Letter from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong to His Majesty Emperor Akihito, the Emperor of Japan
30 April 2019
Your Majesty
On behalf of the Government of Singapore, I congratulate Your Majesty on more than 30 years of wise reign, and extend my best wishes as you relinquish the throne today.
The Heisei period will be remembered as an era of peace and stability for Japan. Japan dealt with novel economic situations, and adapted to a changing strategic and security environment. Your Majesty’s compassion, devotion to your people, and unwavering commitment to peace inspired and guided the Japanese nation in responding to these challenges. The love and respect of your people towards their sovereign reflect this.
Your Majesty can be proud of Japan’s place in the world, and the admiration it commands from people everywhere. Singapore-Japan relations have grown steadily over the years. The pair of King Sago Palms planted at the Japanese Garden in Singapore, during Your Majesties’ first visit as Crown Prince and Princess in 1970, are still flourishing today, and so too the friendship between our countries and peoples.
Ho Ching and I warmly recall our interactions with Your Majesties, including during your State Visit in 2006 as well as the two occasions when Your Majesties graciously hosted us to lunch during our visits to Tokyo in March 2007 and September 2016. We wish Your Majesties continued good health, happiness, and a well-deserved rest.
Yours sincerely
Lee Hsien Loong
His Majesty the Emperor
Japan