Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will visit Britain as state guests in late June, the Imperial Household Agency said Saturday, marking the first state visit by a sitting emperor since his father Akihito's in 1998.
The trip, aimed at fostering goodwill and friendship, will be the second overseas one since their June 2023 official goodwill visit to Indonesia.
The state visit was initially planned for 2020 as the emperor's first overseas visit following his ascension to the throne in May 2019, but it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The imperial couple did, however, visit Britain for their first official overseas trip in September 2022, when they attended the funeral service for Queen Elizabeth II.
The upcoming state visit to Britain is expected to last around a week, with arrangements under way for welcoming events at Buckingham Palace, the London home of the British monarchy, as well as a state banquet hosted by King Charles III, according to the agency.
Outside of official events, a visit to the University of Oxford is also under review, the agency said. The imperial couple both studied at the institution, and Emperor Naruhito is the first Japanese emperor to have studied abroad.
Preparations between the British and Japanese governments are proceeding in consideration of the royal family's health.
Buckingham Palace said in February that the king had been diagnosed with cancer and was undergoing treatment, while in March, Catherine, Princess of Wales and wife of Britain's heir to the throne, Prince William, revealed she was also undergoing cancer treatment.
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