Emperor visit to Europe

Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are on a two-week official visit to the Netherlands and Belgium. The Imperial couple departed from Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Saturday. The Japanese Imperial family has long enjoyed close ties with both the Dutch and Belgian royal families.

The Emperor and Empress are due to attend welcome ceremonies and royal banquets in the two countries. They plan to lay flowers at a war memorial in Amsterdam on June 17. Running from June 13 to 26, the trip honors their close ties with European royalty and marks the 160th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Belgium.