Society

Japan's Imperial Couple to Depart for Britain

TOKYO, Jun 22 (NHK) - Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are embarking on an eight-day trip to Britain as state guests. They were officially invited by King Charles.

The Emperor and Empress will depart from Tokyo's Haneda Airport on Saturday morning.

It will be the third state visit to Britain by a Japanese Emperor and Empress. The first was in 1971, and the second in 1998.

The latest visit was initially scheduled for 2020 upon the invitation of late Queen Elizabeth II, but later postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Imperial couple will attend a welcoming ceremony on Tuesday as well as a banquet at Buckingham Palace.

Emperor Naruhito plans to visit the British royal family's tomb at Windsor Castle on Thursday to lay flowers at the grave of Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip.

The next day, the Emperor and Empress are scheduled to visit the University of Oxford, where they both studied.

The Imperial couple will return to Japan next Saturday.

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