Japan Imperial Couple Return from Trip to Netherlands, Belgium

Tokyo, June 26 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Friday returned from their state visits to the Netherlands and Belgium. A Japanese government plane carrying the Imperial couple landed at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport in the afternoon following the two-week trip. The couple released a statement through the Imperial Household Agency, expressing hopes that the friendship between Japan, the Netherlands and Belgium will advance further. The Emperor and the Empress expressed gratitude for the “wonderful hospitality” of the royal families of the two European countries. On their reunions with younger members of the royal families, the couple said they were glad to see them as grown-ups. “We think we have been able to build a bridge for the next generation,” the statement said. The Emperor and the Empress arrived in the Netherlands on June 13, and attended a banquet hosted by King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima on June 17. The Imperial couple laid flowers and offered a moment of silence at a monument for the war dead at Dam Square in Amsterdam. The couple moved to Belgium on Saturday and attended a welcome ceremony and a banquet hosted by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde. It was the first time since 2002 for the Emperor and the Empress to visit multiple countries in a single overseas trip. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]