Japan Imperial Couple Hosts Banquet for Philippine Pres., Wife

Tokyo, May 27 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted a banquet for visiting Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday evening. In a speech at the Homei-Den banquet hall, Emperor Naruhito said that he expects Japan and the Philippines to “weave a peaceful and promising future and prosper together,” as this year marks the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic ties between the two countries. The event was attended by some 90 people, including Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and ministers from the two countries. Prince Hisahito, the only son of Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko, also attended the event. It was the first time for Prince Hisahito, 19, who is in his second year at the University of Tsukuba, to attend such a banquet to welcome a state guest. In the speech, the Emperor also said that there were times of hardship between Japan and the Philippines in the past. Noting that Japan and the Philippines have developed friendly relations since the normalization of diplomatic ties, the Emperor added that he sincerely hopes bilateral ties of trust will deepen further. In response, Marcos said that the bond between the two countries has been forged through interactions across generations of Filipinos and Japanese who have chosen friendship over division and partnership over isolation. Earlier in the day, a welcoming ceremony for Marcos and his wife was held at the palace’s Eastern Court. The event marked the first state guest reception since the visit of Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva in March last year and the third such ceremony in Japan’s Reiwa era, which started in 2019 with Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement. Following the ceremony, Marcos and his wife held talks with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako for about 20 minutes in the “Take no Ma” audience room at the palace. After the meeting, the Emperor told the state guest that he stopped at a Philippines airport during a trip to Australia when he was in the third grade of junior high school, saying that it was the first foreign land he had stepped on, according to the Imperial Household Agency. Marcos then invited the Emperor and the Empress to visit the Philippines, saying he would be delighted to welcome them to his country. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]