Greetings to Emperor Akihito of Japan 2019-04-30 09:00:00 Vladimir Putin sent his greetings to Emperor Akihito of Japan. The message reads, in part: “I would like to express my sincere gratitude for your attention to the Russian-Japanese relations, which have gained significant momentum during your years on the imperial throne. I hope that mutually beneficial ties between our countries will continue to strengthen in all areas.”