Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako were invited to meet Queen Elizabeth in Spring (Image via The Straits Times)

Emperor and Empress of Japan to visit the U.K and meet the Queen

The Emperor and Empress of Japan, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, accepted an invitation from Queen Elizabeth herself to hold a state visit to England in early 2020.

Since ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne in May 2020, the state visit, which is planned for Spring (between April to June), to England will be his first.

For the visit, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will stay at Windsor Castle according to an official statement from Buckingham Palace. That is for Emperor Naruhito. Meanwhile, Empress Masako rarely joins Emperor Naruhito for the state visit, seeing the fact that she is recovering from her stress-induced illness.

Chief Cabinet Secretary, Yoshihide Suga, said that the royal relations between the U.K and Japan play an important role in fostering the bilateral relations between both countries.

The state visit to the U.K also came amid the Brexit which will run into effect on 31 January. Brexit has caused concerns for some Japanese investors and major companies. The former PM of U.K, Margaret Thatcher, once promised Japan to use the U.K as a “launchpad” into Europe. With Brexit, Japan’s fate remains up in the air.

Before Naruhito, Queen Elizabeth once also received Emperor Showa in 1971, and Emperor Emeritus Akihito in 1998. During these prior visits, former British prisoners of war demand apologies and further compensation for WWII.

The U.K also has a special place in Emperor Naruhito’s memory. He and Empress Masako both studied at Oxford, referred to as the “happiest moment of Emperor’s life”. Emperor Naruhito conducted research on the history of river transport, while Empress Masako studied international relations.

Source: https://bit.ly/2ta4Bsf