TOKYO – Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako on Sunday described their visit to Mongolia as “truly memorable” as they concluded a trip aimed at affirming the two nations’ enduring friendship and commemorating war victims.
“We were able to directly feel the rich history and culture of Mongolia, as well as its natural wonders,” they said in a statement released by the Imperial Household Agency, recalling the first state visit to Mongolia by a Japanese emperor.
During their eight-day trip, held in a year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, the imperial couple paid their respects to Japanese nationals who died in internment camps in Mongolia after the war.
“We prayed for the souls of the deceased who were unwillingly separated from their home and thought about the hardship they faced,” they said.
After the war, the Soviet military transferred around 14,000 of the approximately 575,000 Japanese prisoners of war held in Siberia to Mongolia, where they were made to work on infrastructure projects for about two years. More than 1,700 are believed to have died.
The emperor and empress laid flowers and observed a moment of silence at a memorial established by the Japanese government on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar on Tuesday. It was the first time an emperor honored the memory of Japanese victims at an overseas internment site.
At a banquet hosted the same day by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife in Ulaanbaatar, the emperor joined a musical performance by traditional horsehead fiddle players with his viola.
The imperial couple also attended Naadam, Mongolia’s largest annual festival, on Friday.
“We have deepened our understanding of the progress of the friendship that has been fostered over many years through the visit,” the imperial couple said, expressing their appreciation for being warmly welcomed by the government and the people of Mongolia.
“We expect young people to further deepen their mutual interest and play significant roles (in advancing bilateral ties),” they also said.
Sandwiched between China and Russia, Mongolia established diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972. The two countries have maintained close ties since the landlocked nation began democratization and economic liberalization in 1990.
The imperial couple waved farewell as Mongolian officials saw them off at Chinggis Khaan International Airport. They returned to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport later Sunday.
BY: The Times Union – KYODO
