May 31 (NHK) - A ceremony has been held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo to welcome Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang and his wife to Japan.
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greeted Quang and his wife at the palace on Wednesday morning. The presidential couple arrived in Japan on Tuesday as state guests.
Japan and Vietnam are marking the 45th anniversary of the establishment of their diplomatic ties.
The ceremony began with the 2 countries' anthems. Quang was then saluted by the honor guard of the Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force.
About 140 schoolchildren waved flags to welcome the Vietnamese couple.
Later, the president and his wife had an audience with the emperor and empress.