On October 14, Their Majesties Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted Crown Princess Victoria of Sweden and her husband, Prince Daniel, at the Imperial Palace for an evening banquet. The Swedish royal couple had come to Japan to participate in events related to Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, which concluded on October 13.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, the dinner conversation included topics such as the Expo and recent updates on the Crown Princess’s family.
After the meal, Princess Aiko, the Emperor and Empress’ daughter, joined them during an informal gathering with drinks in another room. Together, they saw off Crown Princess Victoria and Prince Daniel.
Emperor Meets Dignitaries
During the Expo, the Emperor met with many dignitaries visiting Japan for their countries’ national days, which were held on a rotating basis. Alongside the Empress, he has strengthened international relations by hosting evening banquets and other gatherings.
Close aides said that the Emperor appreciated these occasions as “a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of each country.” The Empress was pleased to “rekindle old friendships with royals.”
According to close aides, the Emperor expressed his pleasure that these occasions offered “a valuable opportunity to deepen understanding of each country,” while the Empress was happy to “rekindle old friendships with royals.”
Crown Prince’s Closing Address
Crown Prince Akishino (Fumihito) and Crown Princess Kiko attended the Expo’s closing ceremony on October 13. In his address as honorary president of the Expo, Crown Prince Akishino said, “It is extremely meaningful that the Expo brought people together here in Yumeshima, allowing them to connect, deepen mutual understanding, and think collectively about solutions to common challenges facing humanity.”
He added that he hoped “the world will continue to work hand in hand to create a ‘future society for our lives,'” which was the theme of the Expo.
During the Expo, members of the Imperial Family visited the venue, toured pavilions, and attended the participating countries’ National Day ceremonies.
Princess Kako
From October 9, Princess Kako, the second daughter of the Akishino family, visited Kyoto Prefecture. On October 10, she toured a department store in Kyoto City and attended the 72nd Kyoto Traditional Kogei Exhibition, hosted by the Japan Kogei (Crafts) Association. She serves as president of the association. The Princess also visited the workshop of lacquer artist Hyoetsu Miki IV.
As honorary president of the Japan Tennis Association, Princess Kako attended the All-Japan Tennis Championships finals at Ariake Coliseum in Tokyo on October 12. She presented the Emperor’s Cup to the winning player during the awards ceremony.
More Imperial Engagements
Princess Nobuko, widow of Prince Tomohito of Mikasa, met with former presidents of Junior Chamber International Japan at Hotel Okura Fukuoka on October 10. She then traveled to Saga Prefecture on October 11 to attend the organization’s 74th National Convention.
Princess Akiko of Mikasa visited Okayama Prefecture from October 11–12 to attend the opening ceremony of the 37th Okayama Kibikoen Wheelchair Road Race. On October 14, she attended the awards ceremony for the 23rd Japan Self-Defense Forces of the People in Shinjuku, Tokyo. She congratulated participants for continuing to uphold the pride of the Japan Self-Defense Forces.
Princess Hisako, widow of Prince Takamado, visited Nagano Prefecture on October 10–11. She attended a ribbon-cutting ceremony at a comprehensive housing exhibition and toured the venue.
On October 12, she watched the Prince Takamado Cup Hockey Japan League women’s finals at Oi Hockey Stadium in Tokyo. The next day, she departed from Haneda Airport for Iceland to attend the opening session of the 2025 Arctic Circle Assembly, which addresses challenges facing the Arctic.
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(Read the article in Japanese.)
Author: The Sankei Shimbun
‘ The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties ’
‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source japan-forward.com ’
