Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will pay a state visit to the United Kingdom at the end of June. Buckingham Palace said on Friday that the imperial couple had accepted an invitation from King Charles and Queen Camilla. It will be Naruhito and Masako's first state visit since becoming emperor and empress in 2019.
Members of the British and Japanese royal families have visited each other regularly in recent years. King Charles has visited Japan five times. For example, he was present at the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in 2019 and the enthronement of his father, Emperor Akihito, in 1990. He also visited the country in 2008, 1986 and 1970. In 2008, he did so with his mother, Queen Elizabeth, then the Duchess of Cornwall.
Since Naruhito and Masako became emperor and empress, they have rarely traveled abroad. The couple attended the state funeral of Britain's Queen Elizabeth in September 2022, which was Masako's first official trip abroad since 2015. The empress rarely travels for her health. Last year, the couple visited Indonesia.
The Japanese state visit to the UK was previously expected to take place in spring 2020. However, this was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
