Tag Archives: Empress Masako of Japan

Imperial Family of Japan

The Imperial Family of Japan Visits Fukushima to Mark 15th Anniversary of 2011 Earthquake and Tsunami

This afternoon, Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan, accompanied by Her Imperial Highness Princess Aiko of Japan, began their two-day official visit to the Fukushima Prefecture in northeastern Japan.

The visit is being held to mark the 15th anniversary of the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.

During the visit, the Imperial Family will pay tribute to the victims, visit facilities that document the disaster and subsequent reconstruction, and meet with residents affected by the events to observe ongoing recovery efforts in the region.

The visit began in the town of Futaba, where the Imperial Family visited the Great East Japan Earthquake and Nuclear Disaster Memorial Museum. They laid flowers in memory of the victims and met with local residents.

Tomorrow, the Imperial Family will continue their visit to Fukushima Prefecture, including a visit to a disaster memorial facility in Tomioka. They are also expected to attend classes at an educational facility in Okuma, located near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

The Imperial Family is also expected to stop at a roadside station in Namie, a town heavily affected by the 2011 disaster and subsequent nuclear evacuation, before returning to Tokyo later that day.

Belgian Royals, Imperial Family of Japan, Royal Family of Belgium

King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians to Host a State Visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan Marking 160 Years of Diplomatic Relations

  • Portrait courtesy of La Monarchie Belge
  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (the Imperial Household Agency)

On Thursday, the Government of Japan announced that Their Majesties King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians will host an incoming state visit from Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in mid to late June 2026.

The visit will take place on the occasion of the 160th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and Japan.

In a statement issued by the Chief Cabinet Secretary of the Government of Japan, Minoru Kihara, noted that exchanges between the Imperial Family of Japan and the Royal Family of Belgium have long played an important role in strengthening the close and friendly relations between the two countries. He added that preparations for the visit are proceeding following repeated invitations extended by the Government of the Kingdom of Belgium.

Diplomatic relations between the Kingdom of Belgium and Japan date back to  August 1st, 1866, when the two countries signed the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation. The agreement was concluded during the final years of the Tokugawa period, at a time when Japan was establishing formal diplomatic and commercial relations with a number of Western countries following the end of its long period of relative isolation.

The Kingdom of Belgium was among the early European countries to establish sustained diplomatic ties with Japan. In the decades that followed, relations between the two countries expanded through diplomacy, trade, and cultural exchange.

In October 1921, His Imperial Highness Crown Prince Hirohito of Japan, the future Emperor Hirohito, visited the Kingdom of Belgium during his tour of Europe. During the visit, the Crown Prince was received by King Albert I and Queen Elisabeth of the Belgians.

Exchanges between the Royal Family of Belgium and the Imperial Family of Japan have continued as part of the broader diplomatic relationship between the two countries. The forthcoming visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will mark the latest chapter in those relations.

Imperial Family of Japan

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan to Host an Official Visit from the President and First Lady of the French Republic

  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (the Imperial Household Agency)

In Tokyo, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan announced that Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan will host an incoming official visit from the President and the First Lady of the French Republic, Emmanuel and Brigitte Macron, on Tuesday, March 31st to April 2nd, 2026.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also noted that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will host a luncheon at the Imperial Palace in honor of the presidential couple, which will be preceded by a meeting between the Imperial Couple and the presidential couple.

The Ministry added that the official visit is intended to “further strengthen Japan–France relations,” describing the partnership between the two nations as an “Exceptional Partner” founded on shared fundamental values and principles.

Dutch Royal Family, Imperial Family of Japan

King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands to Host State Visit by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan

  • Portrait courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD)/Anton Corbijn
  • Portrait courtesy of Kunaichō (Imperial Household Agency)
  • Photo courtesy of Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD

In Den Haag, it was announced that Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will host an incoming state visit from Their Imperial Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan in the second half of June 2026.

The Rijksvoorlichtingsdienst (RVD) noted that the visit will reaffirm the longstanding relationship between Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The state visit will focus on cooperation in areas including security, innovation, defense, economic resilience, and international law.

The relations between the two countries date back to 1600, when the Dutch ship De Liefde arrived in Japan. The ship’s pilot, William Adams, later entered the service of the Tokugawa shogunate and became one of the first Western advisers to the shogun.

In 1609, the Dutch East India Company established a trading post in Hirado. After Japan restricted most foreign contact in the seventeenth century, the Dutch remained the only Western traders permitted to operate in the country, relocating their commercial station in 1641 to the island of Dejima in Nagasaki.

Dutch merchants continued to operate from Dejima until 1859, when Japan reopened to international trade at the end of the Tokugawa period. The Dutch presence was maintained in part because their activities were primarily commercial, and they did not pursue missionary work in Japan.

During this period of limited international contact, exchanges between Japanese scholars and Dutch merchants and physicians contributed to the development of Rangaku, through which European scientific and medical knowledge entered Japan.

Modern diplomatic relations continue to reflect this historical connection. In 2000, Their Majesties Emperor Akihito of Japan and Empress Michiko of Japan paid a state visit to the Netherlands, marking the 400th anniversary of relations between the two countries.

In October 2014, Their Majesties King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima paid a state visit to Japan. In October 2019, the King and Queen attended the enthronement ceremonies of Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo. In May 2025, His Majesty King Willem-Alexander visited Japan to attend World Expo 2025 in Osaka.

Relations between the Royal Family of the Netherlands and the Imperial Family of Japan reflect the longstanding diplomatic relationship between the two countries.