Crown Prince, Crown Princess Arrive in Vietnam

Jiji Press

1:00 JST, September 21, 2023

HANOI (Jiji Press) — Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko arrived in Vietnam on Wednesday afternoon for an official visit to the Southeast Asian country.

The crown prince, the younger brother of the Emperor, and the crown princess are slated to attend events marking 50 years of the two countries’ diplomatic relations.

They touched down in Hanoi after taking off from Haneda Airport aboard a government plane in the morning.

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.

On Thursday, the couple will present 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 half century of friendship.

The couple will travel 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 My Son Sanctuary, a UNESCO World Heritage site.