King Charles III hailed Britain and Japan’s “close friendship” at a lavish state banquet for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at Buckingham Palace on Tuesday, as the Japanese royals began a three-day state visit.
This visit marks the first state visit to the UK by a Japanese head of state since 1998 and comes unusually during a general election campaign.
In line with neutrality rules, some political elements, such as a Downing Street visit, have been omitted, but all traditional pomp and pageantry have been maintained.
The emperor and empress, who arrived on Saturday and held informal engagements over the weekend, were formally greeted by Charles and Queen Camilla in central London, accompanied by gun salutes and the national anthems of both countries.
They also met with several dignitaries, including Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose government has been advocating for closer ties with Japan in recent years.
Naruhito, 64, and Charles, 75, inspected the guard of honor before traveling to Buckingham Palace in a carriage procession for lunch.
Hosting his first state visit since his cancer diagnosis was revealed in February, the king later took his guests to a special exhibition of items from the Royal Collection relating to Japan.
One of the highlights was a delicately-painted scroll from 1855 showing the 17th-century coronation of Emperor Go-Mizunoo, which drew a “wonderful, wonderful” from the current emperor.
The visiting royals then laid a wreath at the Grave of the Unknown Warrior at Westminster Abbey, where they attended Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral in September 2022.
The day concluded with a lavish state banquet where Charles lauded the “close friendship” between Britain and Japan, emphasizing shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law.
“Today, as we face a world in which these principles are ever more challenged, our shared values of freedom, democracy, and the rule of law are more important than ever,” he said.
Charles also extended birthday wishes to the iconic Japanese animated character “Hello Kitty,” who recently turned 50.
Charles has recently made a limited return to public duties after doctors expressed encouragement over his progress.
Princess Anne, the king’s sister, had been scheduled to attend but is recovering in hospital with a concussion and minor injuries after an apparent horse kick. Her husband, Timothy Laurence, reported she is “recovering well.”
This visit is the emperor’s second official state visit since ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019, following a trip to Indonesia last year.
Initially planned for 2020 but delayed due to the pandemic, this visit marks Charles’ third state visit since becoming king after his mother’s death.
On Tuesday, it was announced that Charles approved an honours award for Nissan CEO Makoto Uchida, making him an Honorary Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his services to UK-Japan business relations.
On Wednesday, Naruhito will visit The Francis Crick Institute, the UK’s flagship biomedical research center, before a banquet hosted by the Lord Mayor and City of London Corporation that evening.
The emperor and empress will bid farewell to the king and queen at Buckingham Palace on Thursday morning before attending the “Japan: Myths to Manga” exhibition at London’s V&A museum.
Later, the emperor will privately visit Windsor Castle to lay a wreath on the tomb of the late queen.
Elizabeth, whose 70-year reign began in 1952, hosted two Japanese state visits: Emperor Hirohito in 1971 and his eldest son Emperor Akihito—Naruhito’s father—in 1998.
The Japanese couple will visit Oxford on Friday before flying home from there.
