Japanese imperial couple depart for historic visit to Mongolia
During their eight-day trip through July 13, the imperial couple are scheduled to lay flowers at a memorial to commemorate Japanese nationals who died while in internment camps there after the war.
A welcome ceremony and meeting with President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife are to take place Tuesday in Mongolia's capital, Ulaanbaatar. The imperial couple are expected to then participate in a banquet hosted by the Mongolian leader that night.
The itinerary also includes their attendance at the opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia's largest annual festival, on Friday.
"Through this visit, I hope to reflect on the long-standing history of exchanges between our two countries," the emperor said at a press conference on Wednesday.
"I hope this visit will also serve as an opportunity to invigorate exchanges further, particularly among the younger generation," he added.
Mongolia, sandwiched between China and Russia, established diplomatic relations with Japan in 1972. The two countries have enjoyed a close relationship since Mongolia embarked on democratization and economic liberalization in 1990.
With Japanese aid contributing significantly to Mongolia's development, the imperial couple are scheduled to visit the Mongol Kosen College of Technology, modeled after Japan's technical colleges, and the Mongolia-Japan Hospital, which helps train medical professionals.
The two countries' historical connection, however, is more checkered.
Following the war, the Soviet military transferred around 14,000 of some 575,000 Japanese prisoners of war from Siberia to Mongolia, putting them to work on infrastructure projects for around two years. More than 1,700 are believed to have died.
The Japanese government later established a memorial on a hill in Dambadarjaa, a former cemetery for the deceased POWs on the outskirts of Ulaanbaatar. The imperial couple will pay their respects at the site on Tuesday.
"I wish to mourn those who lost their lives far from their homeland against their will and reflect on their hardships," said the emperor, who also visited the monument during his previous trip to Mongolia as crown prince in 2007.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
4 hours ago
2 Japanese Cabinet Ministers Visit Yasukuni Shrine
News from Japan Politics Aug 15, 2025 20:41 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japanese agriculture minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato visited Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo on Friday, the 80th anniversary of the country's surrender in World War II. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba made a "tamagushi" ritual offering at the Shinto shrine in his capacity as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party while refraining from paying a visit. The visits by Koizumi and Kato marked the sixth consecutive year for Japanese cabinet ministers to go to the war-related shrine on the anniversary. The shrine is regarded as a symbol of Japan's past militarism by neighboring countries such as China and South Korea as it enshrines Class-A World War II criminals along with the war dead. "It's important not to forget to show respect to those who sacrificed their lives for the country," Koizumi told a press conference after the shrine visit. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
4 hours ago
80 Years On: Yasukuni Shrine Remains Political, Diplomatic Issue
Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--Tokyo's war-related Yasukuni Shrine has been at the center of political and diplomatic discussions, particularly regarding visits by the sitting prime minister and other cabinet members on the anniversary of the end of World War II. The Shinto shrine enshrines the souls of about 2.46 million people, including fallen soldiers and war criminals. After the war, it transformed from a symbol of the state-sponsored religion into a religious corporation. Before the war, Yasukuni Shrine was jointly managed by the now-defunct army and navy ministries, acting as a spiritual pillar of militarism that bolstered public morale. Following Japan's surrender, the General Headquarters of the Allied Powers, also known as GHQ in Japan, issued an order to abolish state sponsorship of Shinto and prevent a resurgence of militarism. The shrine was then registered as a religious corporation in 1946. However, the belief that the shrine should be treated specially remained strong among the Japanese public, prompting a national movement that advocated for state management and funding. From 1969, the Liberal Democratic Party submitted five bills to make the shrine a special corporation under state management. However, the bills were scrapped by 1974, due to opposition from other parties and the shrine itself, which resisted changes that would diminish its religious character. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
4 hours ago
Ruling, Opposition Parties Voice Concerns over U.S. Tariffs
News from Japan Politics Aug 15, 2025 21:38 (JST) Tokyo, Aug. 15 (Jiji Press)--Japan's ruling and opposition parties expressed concerns about U.S. tariffs at Friday's meetings of senior members of the budget committees of both Diet chambers, in the presence of economic revitalization minister Ryosei Akazawa, the country's chief negotiator in tariff talks with the United States. The closed-door meetings were held after the U.S. government implemented different tariffs than the Japanese side had announced. Participants questioned when the United States will revise its tariffs to reflect its agreement with Japan. Akazawa responded that the timing is unclear, according to Jun Azumi, chairman of the House of Representatives' Budget Committee, who spoke at a press conference later in the day. Azumi said he instructed the ruling and opposition parties to consider holding a budget committee meeting with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on the matter, adding that the meeting is expected to take place in September. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.] Jiji Press
