Japan’s Princess Aiko, the daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, is to visit Laos in November to mark the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries. It will be her first official overseas visit.
The trip was formally endorsed at a Cabinet meeting on Friday.
Princess Aiko will travel to the Southeast Asian country for six days from November 17.
She is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith in the capital Vientiane and attend a banquet hosted by the vice presidents.
The Princess will visit a school where Japanese teachers give Japanese language lessons. She will tour a museum that features information about unexploded bombs from the Vietnam War.
She is also scheduled to travel to the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, which is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage site. She will visit temples as well as a children’s hospital established by a Japanese non-governmental organization.
Princess Aiko will return to Japan on November 22.
Japan and Laos established diplomatic ties in March 1955.
In 2012, Emperor Naruhito, then the Crown Prince, made an official visit to Laos. Crown Prince and Princess Akishino also made an official visit to the country in 1999.
AloJapan.com