FOCUS: Japan Emperor, Empress Deepen Ties with Dutch, Belgian Royals

Tokyo, June 27 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, through their latest state visits to the Netherlands and Belgium, deepened their bonds with the Royal families of the two European countries and built a bridge for the next generation. The Imperial couple returned to Japan on Friday from the two-week tour, which took them to the Netherlands first and then to Belgium. Staying at Royal Castles in Calm Atmosphere After their arrival in the Netherlands, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako stayed at Het Oude Loo Castle, a royal residence in Apeldoorn in the central part of the country, until June 16, before traveling to the Dutch capital of Amsterdam. The castle is a particularly memorable place for the couple and their daughter, Princess Aiko, 24. In 2006, the Emperor and the Empress, who were Crown Prince and Crown Princess at the time, and Princess Aiko stayed at the castle for a rest at the invitation of then Dutch Queen Beatrix. They spent time with current Dutch King Willem-Alexander, who was Crown Prince at the time, his wife, Maxima, and their eldest daughter, Princess Catharina-Amalia, 22, at Het Oude Loo Castle. On June 14, Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako, King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima watched together a FIFA World Cup group stage match between Japan and the Netherlands on television. A selfie taken by the King with the Emperor was published. The soccer match ended in a 2-2 draw, and at a banquet hosted by the Dutch Royal couple at the Royal Palace Amsterdam on June 17, Emperor Naruhito said in a speech, “I must say I was relieved by the peaceful result,” drawing laughter. After moving on to Belgium, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako dined with Belgian King Philippe, Queen Mathilde and the couple’s four children, including Princess Elisabeth, in a friendly atmosphere at the Royal Castle of Ciergnon, a retreat of the Dutch Royal Family, on Sunday. Princess Elisabeth, 24, is of the same age as Princess Aiko. “The Netherlands and Belgium gave special consideration for the Imperial couple so that they can spend their time in a calm environment until the start of official events (during the state visits),” an official at Japan’s Imperial Household Agency said. Thanks to such consideration, Empress Masako, who is undergoing medical treatment, performed her official duties smoothly, such as attending welcoming ceremonies and banquets, in both countries. Passing the Baton During World War II, the then Japanese military detained Dutch people in Indonesia. When then Emperor Hirohito, grandfather of Emperor Naruhito and posthumously called Emperor Showa, visited the Netherlands in 1971, protest activities took place, such as objects being thrown at his car. In 2000, then Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, the parents of the current Emperor and now holding the titles of Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, visited the European country, offering flowers and long prayers at a monument for the war dead in Amsterdam. This helped improve relations between Japan and the Netherlands. During their latest visit, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako offered flowers and gave prayers that lasted a minute and a half at the same monument on June 17. “I acted from the bottom of my heart in a way that inherited my parents’ feelings,” the Emperor said in talks with reporters in the Belgian city of Namur on Wednesday. Emperor Hirohito and former Belgian King Leopold III, grandfather of King Philippe, were born in the same year. So were Emperor Naruhito and King Philippe, and Princess Aiko and Princess Elisabeth. Emperor Emeritus Akihito and former Belgian King Albert II, father of King Philippe, were born only about a year apart. Emperor Naruhito and King Philippe took the same car for their visits to a university and a research institute. “This was realized thanks to a proposal from the Belgian side and was a relatively rare development,” an Imperial Household Agency official who accompanied the Emperor and the King on the tour said, underscoring the close relations between them. Bridge for Next Generation During the visits to the Netherlands and Belgium, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako also interacted with princesses who are of or around the same age as Princess Aiko. Dutch Princess Catharina-Amalia attended the June 17 banquet at the Royal Palace Amsterdam. Belgian Princess Elisabeth welcomed and greeted the Imperial couple upon their arrival in Belgium from the Netherlands on June 20, marking the first time for her to perform an official duty for a state guest. “In addition to deepening exchanges among our generation, I think we were able to build a bridge for the next generation,” Emperor Naruhito told reporters in Namur, Belgium, on Wednesday. The Imperial couple’s trip is believed to have helped Japan strengthen its long-standing relationships with the Netherlands and Belgium even further. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]