Japan’s Emperor Wishes for Peace at Banquet in Netherlands

Amsterdam, June 17 (Jiji Press)–Visiting Japanese Emperor Naruhito expressed his wish for peace in a speech on Wednesday at a banquet in Amsterdam hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima. Touching on the history of Japan and the Netherlands fighting each other during World War II, the Emperor said in the English speech, “I sincerely hope that our two countries will continue to walk together for peace in the future.” Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, who are on a state visit to the Netherlands, attended the banquet held at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. “The longstanding exchanges between our two countries are nothing less than the fruit of the extraordinary enthusiasm and efforts of the governments and people of both countries,” the Emperor said, referring to over 400 years of exchanges that never ceased even during the period when Japan adopted a policy of national isolation. Touching on the war, the Emperor said, “We must always strive to be modest in learning from our past history, listen to the pains and sorrows of the people with compassion and must pass on our tragic experiences and hardships to future generations so that such sorrow is never repeated.” “Bearing in mind that there are those who continue to bear the pain of that time to this day, we must continue earnestly our efforts for peace,” he said in relation to the history in which the now-defunct Imperial Japanese Army detained Dutch people. Looking back on his stay 20 years ago with the Empress and their daughter, Princess Aiko, at Het Oude Loo Castle, a royal residence in Apeldoorn, east of Amsterdam, where the Imperial couple stayed again during their latest visit, the Emperor expressed his gratitude, saying, “We received such thoughtful considerations” from the royal family and the people of the Netherlands at the time. On Sunday, the Japanese Imperial couple watched the FIFA World Cup match between Japan and the Netherlands on television together with the Dutch King and Queen, with the match ending in a 2-2 draw. Emperor Naruhito drew laughter by saying in his speech at Wednesday’s banquet, “I must say I was relieved by the peaceful result.” In his speech, King Willem-Alexander said, “Our long, intertwined history includes a painful period that we cannot and must not overlook: the Second World War.” “By fully acknowledging the past, we create space for a shared future,” the King stressed. “Ours is an enduring friendship, built to last,” the King said in concluding his speech. The banquet was also attended by Princess Catharina-Amalia, the first daughter of the King and Queen, who is first in line to the throne, and former Queen Beatrix. Invited Japanese guests included Yuji Iwasawa, president of the International Court of Justice, who is the second Japanese citizen to take the post after Hisashi Owada, the father of Empress Masako, as well as Tomoko Akane, a judge at the International Criminal Court. Two representatives of a group of former Dutch detainees also attended the banquet. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]