Emperor to attend water summit online

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
The Emperor attends a press conference in the Imperial Palace on Feb. 21.

The Emperor will take part virtually in the 4th Asia-Pacific Water Summit, to be held April 23 in Kumamoto City, the Imperial Household Agency announced Monday.

The Empress might also join in online, health permitting.

The water summit is an international conference in which heads of state in the Asia-Pacific region and international organizations discuss how to resolve water-related issues.

When the Emperor was the crown prince in 2007, he attended the first water summit, held in Oita Prefecture, and delivered a commemorative speech.