TOKYO – Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Laos on Monday on her first official overseas trip to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
During her six-day trip through Saturday, the 23-year-old princess will meet Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith and attend a banquet, the Imperial Household Agency said. She will also learn about Laotian history and culture and interact with locals.
Anticipation for her debut on the global stage has grown, as fostering friendship with other countries is regarded as a major role of the imperial family.
Following her arrival in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Monday night, the princess will visit major landmarks, including the Patuxai war monument, on Tuesday before paying a courtesy call on Thongloun.
In the evening, a state banquet will be hosted by Vice President Pany Yathotou.
On Thursday, the princess will travel by rail to the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, where she will visit the national museum and the famous Wat Xieng Thong temple.
During her trip, she will also visit a children’s hospital built with Japanese aid, and a school where Japanese-language teachers work.
Japan has a long history of assisting Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, starting with the dispatch of volunteers through a program operated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1965. Since then, Japan has also provided support for infrastructure development and worker training.
A former diplomat noted that Laotians “feel a sense of closeness to Japan.”
During the Vietnam War, Laos was used as a supply route by North Vietnam and was bombed with an estimated 2 million to 3 million tons of cluster munitions.
Laotians continue to suffer from unexploded ordnance today, with the country considered the most unexploded ordnance-contaminated in the world on a per capita basis.
According to a close aide, Princess Aiko will visit an exhibition facility on unexploded ordnances on Wednesday because “understanding a country, including its dark history, is a sign of friendship.”
At a press conference in 2023 before his visit to Indonesia, Emperor Naruhito emphasized the importance of overseas visits by the imperial family, calling them “extremely valuable opportunities to deepen mutual understanding and goodwill.”
BY: The Times Union – KYODO
