Emperor Looks Forward to Mongolia Trip; Set to Visit Memorial for Japanese Detainees
During the trip, the Emperor is scheduled to visit a memorial monument for Japanese prisoners of war who died in internment in Mongolia after World War II.
'I'd like to console the souls of Japanese internees who died far away from home … and spare a thought for their plight,' the Emperor told reporters.
The Emperor and Empress will visit Mongolia as state guests until Tuesday.
The visit to the memorial monument, which is in a suburb of Ulaanbaatar, is scheduled for Tuesday. At the monument, the Emperor will commemorate the approximately 1,700 Japanese detainees who were taken to Mongolia after the end of the war and died there.
This year, which marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the war, the Emperor and Empress have visited such places as Iwoto Island and Okinawa Prefecture, where ground battles took place during the war, and Hiroshima, the site of an atomic bombing.
'I renewed my understanding of the importance of peace,' the Emperor said at the press conference.
Japanese detainees were involved in constructing a government building and a state theater of opera and ballet in Ulaanbaatar.
The Emperor previously visited the country in 2007. 'I thought about the people who worked on the construction of the buildings in an extremely cold part of the world,' the Emperor said, recalling that visit.
The Emperor also spoke of his hope for Japan and Mongolia to develop their friendly relations even further. As a researcher of Japanese medieval history, the Emperor referred to trade and traffic between Japan and Mongolia in the 13th century, when the Mongol Empire attempted to invade Japan.
'Reflecting on the long history of exchange between the two countries, I would like to meet the people of Mongolia as well as Japanese residents there and hear their stories,' the Emperor said.
The Emperor showed his delight in seeing an increase in the number of Mongolian students coming to study in Japan and hoped his visit would become an opportunity for people from younger generations in both countries to more actively interact with each other.
The Empress is scheduled to attend mainly official events, including the welcome ceremony.
'[The Empress] Masako is also looking forward to appreciating the nature, history and culture of Mongolia and meeting the country's people [while making sure to pay attention to her physical conditions],' the Emperor said.
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