Emperor pens paean to PoWs

  • 2008-01-11
  • In cooperation with BNS
RIGA -- Emperor Akihito of Japan was inspired to write a poemby his visit to Latvian Occupation Museum last year.

Latvian daily Diena reported Jan. 11 that the emperor's family has atradition of composing small poems on the most vivid impressions of theprevious year. After his visit to the Occupation Museum, Emperor Akihito wrote a poem dedicated to Japanese soldiers of World War II:

"Is this how they spent/Their days of imprisonment in Siberia/Freezing and bitterly cold/Our soldiers of the last war?" the poem reads.

The official homepage of the Japanese Emperor posts other 'vaka' poemsdedicated to the events of the previous year, including his visit toSweden, visiting the victims of an earthquake and others.