Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako began a summer retreat at the Nasu Imperial Villa in Tochigi Prefecture on 26 August and invited two nonagenarian former residents of Iwo Jima—Atsuko Watanabe, 95, and Yaiko Hara, 94—for a private meeting. The women were among the civilians forcibly evacuated from the Pacific island in 1944, months before the 1945 battle that claimed about 29,000 soldiers’ lives. According to aides, the Emperor told them, “It must have been painful,” while the Empress asked about their memories of the evacuation, continuing the couple’s outreach after their April visit to Iwo Jima to mark the war’s 80th anniversary. The former islanders, now living in Nasu Town, spoke of losing relatives and of post-war efforts to cultivate farmland in the area. Palace officials said the Imperial couple expressed appreciation for their hardships and thanked them for sharing their experiences. A day later, the Imperial Household Agency released six photographs from the family’s earlier stay at the Suzaki Imperial Villa in Shimoda, Shizuoka Prefecture, in early August. The images show the Emperor, Empress and their daughter Princess Aiko enjoying a swim at the villa’s private Mitsuihama beach. Four of the pictures were taken by the family themselves, including an underwater shot by the Emperor of a black-striped cardinalfish and seascapes photographed by the Empress and Princess Aiko.