
Princess Aiko to visit Laos in November as first official foreign trip
Princess Aiko will visit Laos in November, her first official visit overseas, the Imperial Household Agency said Friday.
According to the agency, Japan received an invitation from Laos this month as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary of their diplomatic relations this year.
After flying to Laos by civil aircraft, the princess will make a courtesy visit to Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith. She will also attend a commemorative anniversary event.
The exact date of her trip has yet to be decided.
In 2006, the princess, then 4, accompanied her parents, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, on their trip to the Netherlands.
When she was a second-year student of Gakushuin Girls' Senior High School in 2018, she studied at Eton College in Britain on a short summer program.
Imperial Family members have visited Laos four times, including Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko in 1999 and Emperor Naruhito in 2012 as crown prince.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


NHK
a day ago
- NHK
Japan's Emperor and Empress to visit Mongolia in July
It has been formally decided that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will make an official visit to Mongolia in July. Their itinerary includes a visit to a memorial for Japanese nationals who died there after World War Two. The couple's trip to Mongolia for eight days from July 6 was decided at a Cabinet meeting on Friday. It will be their first trip to Mongolia as Emperor and Empress. They are scheduled to depart from Tokyo's Haneda Airport in the morning and arrive at Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia's capital, in the afternoon. The Emperor and Empress will attend a welcome ceremony on July 8 as state guests and meet with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife, Luvsandorj Bolortsetseg, in a ger, a traditional tent-like structure, designed to host special guests within government facilities. They will attend a banquet at a hotel in the capital in the evening. The couple is also scheduled to pay their respects at a monument for Japanese nationals who died from hard labor and other causes after being detained by the former Soviet Union and sent to Mongolia shortly after World War Two. The Emperor and Empress will also have opportunities to learn the history and culture of Mongolia and to interact with local people. Toward the end of the trip, the couple is expected to attend the opening ceremony of Naadam, the national sports festival, and watch competitions in such events as archery and horse racing. Their itinerary also includes a visit to a national park where a rare horse species roams a vast expanse of grassland.


NHK
2 days ago
- NHK
Imperial couple to visit Hiroshima on Thursday, Friday
Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako will begin a two-day visit to Hiroshima on Thursday, as 2025 marks 80 years since the end of World War Two. The trip will be the Imperial couple's first to the atomic-bombed city since the Emperor ascended the throne in 2019. Some 3.1 million Japanese people are said to have died in the war. An atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima in western Japan on August 6, 1945, shortly before the end of the conflict. It is estimated that some 140,000 people in Hiroshima died as a result of the bombing by the end of that year. The Imperial couple are scheduled to arrive at Hiroshima Airport before noon on Thursday. They will visit Peace Memorial Park in the afternoon to lay flowers at the cenotaph dedicated to atomic bomb victims. They will then visit the Exhibit Facility for Atomic-Bombed Remnants, which opened in the park three years ago. They will also pay a visit to Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum to view exhibits there, including one related to Nihon Hidankyo, an organization representing survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki that won last year's Nobel Peace Prize. The Emperor and Empress are making a series of visits to World War Two landmarks this year. Taking into account their wish to pass on memories of the war to generations that have not experienced it, they will meet not only survivors of the atomic bombing but younger people trained as "A-bomb Legacy Successors," who have learned the survivors' stories and will carry those memories forward to future generations.


NHK
4 days ago
- NHK
Thailand strives to win back Chinese tourists
Thailand is stepping up efforts to woo back tourists from China. Their numbers slumped by almost half in May. The slowdown is causing concern because of its impact across a wide range of industries. According to Thailand's tourism ministry, there was a 44 percent drop in Chinese tourists compared to May of last year. From January to May there was a 32 percent drop. That's far steeper than the decrease in all international visitors, which was less than 3 percent. Authorities blame the slowdown on safety concerns and negative sentiments triggered by a series of headline-grabbing events, including human trafficking from Thailand to scam centers in Myanmar and an earthquake in March that brought down a high-rise in Bangkok. Officials are trying all kinds of ways to rebuild Thailand's image as a safe travel destination, such as inviting Chinese influencers to experience model tours. The government is also working to increase the number of flights from major Chinese cities and regional centers.