Japan Imperial Couple to Visit Netherlands, Belgium Next Month

Tokyo, May 12 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will make official visits to the Netherlands and Belgium as state guests from June 13 to 26. The schedule was decided at a cabinet meeting Tuesday. The Japanese Imperial Family has long-established relationships with the royal families of the two European countries. Japan and Belgium mark the 160th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year. According to the Imperial Household Agency, the Emperor and the Empress will arrive in Amsterdam, the capital of the Netherlands, on June 13 and move to the Belgian capital of Brussels on 20. The Imperial couple are slated to attend banquets to be hosted by the two countries’ kings and queens, among other events. Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will also offer flowers at monuments for the war dead. Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Belgian King Philippe have invited the Imperial couple to their respective countries. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will serve as the chief attendant for the couple’s visits to the Netherlands and Belgium. Yutaka Ono, a psychiatrist for Empress Masako, will accompany her. It will be the couple’s fourth overseas trip for international goodwill since the Emperor’s enthronement in May 2019. Previously, they visited Indonesia, Britain and Mongolia. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]