Emperor, Empress Met with Foreign Dignitaries; 1st Tea Reception in over 4 Years

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:39 JST, December 19, 2023

The Emperor and Empress met with foreign dignitaries at a tea reception at the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo, on Monday. Invitees included the heads of state and others who participated in the special summit of Japan and the Association of South-East Asian Nations member countries.

It was the first time in four years and four months that the Imperial couple welcomed foreign dignitaries as guests to a tea reception. The last such reception was held during the Tokyo International Conference on African Development before the COVID-19 pandemic in August 2019.

The Emperor gave an address in English, saying he has high expectations that their friendship, goodwill and cooperative relationships will develop further.