Japan imperial couple to embark on historic visit to Mongolia in July
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are scheduled to make a state visit to Mongolia from July 6 to 13 in what will be the first such trip by a Japanese emperor, according to a plan approved by the government on Friday.
During the trip, the emperor and empress will lay flowers at a memorial on July 8 to commemorate Japanese nationals who died while in internment camps there after World War II.
The Soviet military transferred around 14,000 Japanese detainees from Siberia to Mongolia following the war, and more than 1,700 died. The Japanese government later established the memorial near Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar.
On the same day, the imperial couple is expected to meet with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife after attending a welcome ceremony. They will then participate in a banquet hosted by the Mongolian leader that night.
The itinerary also includes their attendance at the opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia's largest annual festival, on July 11.
It will be the imperial couple's first overseas goodwill visit since they traveled to Britain in June last year.
The empress, who has long battled a stress-induced illness, may not attend every event out of consideration for her health, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
The couple will depart from Tokyo's Haneda airport by a government plane on July 6, bound for Ulaanbaatar.
The Mongolian president and his wife extended an invitation to the Japanese imperial couple during a trip to Japan in November 2022, according to the agency.
The emperor previously traveled to Mongolia as crown prince in 2007, when he paid respects at the monument.
Related coverage:
Emperor renews peace hope in Hiroshima for 80th anniv. of war's end
Princess Kako visits Iguacu Falls as visit to Brazil ends
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Nikkei Asia
an hour ago
- Nikkei Asia
Rubio postpones Japan, South Korean trip to focus on Mideast conflict
Marco Rubio was set to visit Japan and South Korea next week in his first visit to those countries as U.S. secretary of state. © Reuters KEN MORIYASU and KANA BABA WASHINGTON/TOKYO -- U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called off his first visit to Japan and South Korea to focus on Middle East issues, Nikkei has learned. Rubio was expected land in Tokyo on Monday to kick off his first Asian tour. But Rubio has informed the Japanese and South Korean governments his schedule will be pushed back.
SoraNews24
2 hours ago
- SoraNews24
Japanese airlines, including JAL and ANA, enacting new mobile battery carry-on rules this month
Fire that broke out on Korean airliner earlier this year cited in reason for new regulations. One of the great conveniences about modern travel is that there's no longer a need to pack a bulky guidebook, multiple maps, a camera with spare film, and reading/listening material to keep yourself entertained on the plane ride to your destination. Nowadays, your phone can handle all that stuff for you but the tradeoff is that if your battery goes dead, you lose access to all of those things. So if you're getting ready for a big trip to Japan soon, there's a pretty good chance that you're bringing not only your phone with you, but a mobile battery/power bank too. If so, though, you'll want to be aware of new rules regarding bringing such items onboard planes of Japan Airlines/JAL, ANA, and many other Japanese carriers. The new rules were developed jointly by the Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan and the Japanese government's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism, who cited the incident that took place in January at South Korea's Gimhae International Airport in which a fire broke out in an Air Busan airliner as it was preparing for takeoff, requiring an emergency evacuation and resulting in injuries to multiple passengers. The source of the fire was traced to a mobile battery inside a passenger's carry-on bag which they had placed in an overhead bin. To prevent such a situation from occurring, the new Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan/MLITT rules prohibit placing mobile batteries in overhead compartments. With mobile batteries already not allowed to be placed in checked luggage, this leaves carry-on luggage under passengers' seats or seatback pockets as the only remaining places for them during flight, so that if a battery begins smoking or burning it can be more quickly noticed and dealt with by the cabin crew. In addition, if the battery is being used to charge another device or is itself being charged via onboard power outlets, the rules state that it should be in an accessible location where its current condition can be easily monitored. The Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan consists of the following 19 airlines: ● Japan Airlines/JAL ● ANA ● Peach ● Jetstar ● Zipair ● NCA ● JTA ● JAC ● Air Do ● Air Japan ● Solaseed Air ● Starflyer ● ANA Wings ● J-Air ● Skymark Airlines ● FDA ● Spring Japan ● Ibex It's unclear whether the Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan's authority extends to flights operated by its members for routes entirely outside of Japan, but at the very least the regulations will apply to international flights to/from Japan on those airlines, as well as domestic flights within Japan. The new regulations go into effect July 8. Source: Scheduled Airlines Association of Japan (1, 2) via Hachima Kiko Top image: Pakutaso ● Want to hear about SoraNews24's latest articles as soon as they're published? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter!
3 hours ago
Strong Quake Strikes Remote Islands in Southwestern Japan
News from Japan Society Jul 3, 2025 23:01 (JST) Kagoshima, July 3 (Jiji Press)--Another strong earthquake struck the Tokara Islands, a remote island chain off the coast of Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, on Thursday. The 5.5-magnitude quake measured lower 6, the third-highest level on the Japanese seismic intensity scale, on Akusekijima, one of the islands and part of the village of Toshima. It struck around 4:13 p.m. at a depth of about 20 kilometers, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There was no tsunami. Seventy-six people, including residents, who were on Akusekijima when the quake struck were confirmed to be safe, with no injuries reported, Toshima officials said. Toshima Mayor Genichiro Kubo said that the village plans to evacuate residents willing to leave Akusekijima. The first group of 13 people are scheduled to leave for the city of Kagoshima aboard a ship set to depart shortly past 7 a.m. on Friday. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
