On behalf of President Obama and the people of the United States, I am delighted to send best wishes to His Imperial Majesty on his 79th birthday this December 23rd, and to congratulate the people of Japan on this national day of celebration.

This year marked the one hundredth anniversary of Japan’s historic gift of three thousand cherry trees to the United States, a lasting symbol of the friendship between our nations. Our strong partnership has flourished under the common values of our people and our shared goals for the Asia Pacific region and around the world. We are grateful for the many important contributions Japan has made to development and democracy and look forward to finding even more ways for collaboration in the future.

I wish His Imperial Majesty a wonderful birthday, and I hope all Japanese people around the world enjoy the blessings of peace and prosperity in the coming year.