Japan’s Emperor, Empress, Princess Aiko Visit Okinawa Pref. To Commemorate War Dead; Visit Marks 1st Since October 2022

The Yomiuri Shimbun

1:00 JST, June 5, 2025

NAHA — The Emperor, the Empress and their daughter Princess Aiko began their visit to Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday to commemorate the war dead as this year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.

This is the first time for Princess Aiko to visit the prefecture.

The family arrived in Naha and traveled by car to Itoman in the prefecture. They offered flowers at the National War Dead Peace Mausoleum and were to visit the Cornerstone of Peace, where names of the war dead are engraved.

The family also was to visit the Okinawa Prefectural Peace Memorial Museum where they would look at exhibits and meet with war veterans and bereaved families of the war dead. They were also to meet young people engaged in activities to continue telling stories from the war.

On Thursday, they will visit Naha to offer flowers to the memorial for victims of the sinking of the Tsushima-maru student evacuation ship, and meet with survivors and bereaved families of the victims at the adjacent Tsushima-maru Memorial Museum.

The family will also visit the main building of Shuri Castle, which was destroyed in a fire in 2019. Work to restore the building is currently underway.

This is the third visit to Okinawa by the Emperor and Empress and the first since October 2022. The trip also marks the seventh visit to the prefecture by the Emperor, who first traveled there when he was still known as Prince Hiro. The family will return to Tokyo on Thursday.