Japan Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko Leave for Vietnam

Jiji Press

15:33 JST, September 20, 2023

Tokyo, Sept. 20 (Jiji Press)—Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko left Japan on Wednesday for their official visit to Vietnam, where they will attend events to mark the 50 years of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.

The Crown Prince, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, and the Crown Princess left Tokyo International Airport at Haneda aboard a government plane for Hanoi, the capital of the Southeast Asian country.

During the visit, arranged following an invitation from Vietnam, the Crown Prince hopes to deepen the two countries’ friendly relations. They are scheduled to return to Japan on Monday.

At their residence in Tokyo, their second daughter, Princess Kako, saw off the couple past 8:30 a.m.

On Thursday, the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess will make floral tributes at the mausoleum of Ho Chi Minh and attend a welcome ceremony hosted by Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and events marking the 50 years of bilateral relations.

The following day, the couple will visit Vietnam Japan University and watch a new opera written to commemorate the 50 years of friendship.

The couple will move to Da Nang, central Vietnam, on Saturday to visit the old town of Hoi An, where there was a Japanese quarter.

On Sunday, they are set to visit the My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site.