Emperor Naruhito, right, welcomes King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden, who visited for dinner, at the Imperial Palace, May 15, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency)
TOKYO — Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako hosted a dinner on May 15 at the Imperial Palace for Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf, who is visiting Japan for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Emperor Naruhito greeted the king with a smile and a handshake at the entrance of the palace. The Imperial Couple’s daughter Princess Aiko joined the conversation after dinner.
Japan’s Imperial Family has long-standing friendships with various royal families around the world. Since this spring, numerous foreign royals have visited Japan for the Expo, and Emperor Naruhito has been meeting with them or hosting dinners together with Empress Masako.
On April 25, the Imperial Couple hosted a dinner for King Frederik of Denmark, with whom they have been close since their days as crown prince and crown princess. Ahead of their meeting, the Danish king had offered flowers at the Cenotaph for the A-bomb Victims in Hiroshima Peace Memorial Park, for which Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako reportedly expressed their deep gratitude. Princess Aiko joined the conversation after the dinner on this occasion, too.
Emperor Naruhito, right, welcomes King Frederik of Denmark, who visited for dinner, at the Imperial Palace, April 25, 2025. (Photo courtesy of the Imperial Household Agency)
Other visitors to the Imperial Palace have included Crown Prince Tupouto’a ‘Ulukalala and Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku’aho of Tonga, and Oman’s Crown Prince Sayyid Theyazin bin Haitham Al Said. Beyond royalty, Emperor Naruhito has also met with senior government officials from various countries. The Imperial Couple will continue to welcome many foreign dignitaries visiting Japan in connection with the Expo.
(Japanese original by Nao Yamada, Tokyo City News Department)
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