Japan’s emperor, empress begin two-week tour of Netherlands, Belgium

Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have departed on a two-week official visit to the Netherlands and Belgium, aiming to strengthen diplomatic ties and promote international goodwill.

The imperial couple left Tokyo on Saturday (July 13), marking their fourth overseas trip since the Emperor’s accession, Caliber.Az reports via Japanese media.

The visit includes formal welcomes, state banquets and meetings with senior European leaders.

In the Netherlands, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will be hosted in Amsterdam by King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands. The programme also includes a meeting with Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten and a visit to the parliament in The Hague.

Ahead of the trip, Emperor Naruhito said he hoped the visit would “further deepen friendship” between Japan and the Netherlands, while also acknowledging historical sensitivities linked to Japan’s wartime occupation of the Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia. During their stay, the couple are expected to lay flowers at a war memorial.

They will then travel to Brussels on June 20 to mark 160 years of diplomatic relations between Japan and Belgium, where they will be received by King Philippe of Belgium and Queen Mathilde of Belgium.

The visit concludes on June 25, with the imperial couple scheduled to return to Japan the following day.

By Aghakazim Guliyev