Japan Emperor Visits Center of Mongolian Buddhism in Ulaanbaatar; High School Students in Mongolia Tell Emperor Their Dreams

By Takaya Toda / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

15:31 JST, July 11, 2025

ULAANBAATAR — The Emperor visited Gandan Monastery in Ulaanbaatar on Thursday during the Imperial couple’s trip to Mongolia.

At the monastery, which is regarded as the center of Buddhism in Mongolia, the Emperor saw the 26-meter-tall Buddhist statue of Avalokitesvara, which is known as Kannon in Japan, and watched the traditional Mongolian masked dance called tsam.

According to the monastery’s abbot, he told the Emperor that he prays for world peace while engaging in his daily activities. The abbot said the Emperor told him that it is a very important thing to do.

A 10-year-old monk offered a bouquet of flowers to the Emperor. The boy later said that he is now interested in Japan after the Emperor told him to visit the country.

Ahead of the visit to the monastery, the Emperor observed a Japanese lesson at Shine Mongol School, a private school in Ulaanbaatar.

When the high school students there told the Emperor of their future dreams, such as becoming a physics teacher and studying in Japan, the Emperor smiled and said, “I’m glad to know that you are studying Japanese with high aspirations.”