Japan's emperor and empress to visit Netherlands, Belgium in June
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will travel from June 13 to 26 as state guests, with royal banquets and tributes to war dead planned.
- Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will make official state visits to the Netherlands and Belgium from June 13 to 26.
- The trip follows invitations from the kings of both nations and is intended to deepen long-standing ties with the Dutch and Belgian royal families.
- Their itinerary includes attending banquets hosted by the respective monarchs and laying flowers at monuments honoring the war dead.
- The visit to Belgium coincides with the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Belgium.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are set to make official state visits to the Netherlands and Belgium from June 13 to 26, under an itinerary approved at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday (May 12).
The Imperial Household Agency said the couple will first arrive in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, on June 13 before travelling to Brussels, Belgium’s capital, on June 20.
During the trip, the Emperor and Empress are scheduled to attend banquets hosted by the kings and queens of both countries, along with other official events. They will also lay flowers at monuments honouring the war dead.
The visits follow invitations from Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Belgian King Philippe. Japan’s Imperial Family has maintained long-standing ties with the royal families of both nations, while Japan and Belgium are marking 160 years of diplomatic relations this year.
Former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will act as chief attendant for the visits. Yutaka Ono, Empress Masako’s psychiatrist, will also accompany her.
The journey will be the Imperial couple’s fourth overseas trip for international goodwill since Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement in May 2019. Their previous such visits were to Indonesia, Britain and Mongolia.
In a statement issued Tuesday, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said she was confident the Imperial Family’s “close friendships” with the Dutch and Belgian royal families would “deepen further” through the Emperor and Empress’s upcoming visits.
[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
