Emperor bonds with Bulgarian president over yogurt memories
Bulgarian President Rumen Radev, left, visits Emperor Naruhito on May 19 at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (Provided by the Imperial Household Agency)
Emperor Naruhito shared nostalgic memories about yogurt and the cultural ties between their respective countries as he met with Bulgarian President Rumen Radev on May 19 at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Radev was in Japan to attend Bulgaria's National Day celebration at the Osaka Kansai Expo the previous day.
During the meeting, Radev mentioned a visit by Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun--Naruhito's grandparents--to the Bulgarian Pavilion at the 1970 Osaka Expo, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
He noted that the couple tasted Bulgarian yogurt at the event, which helped popularize the country's signature dairy product in Japan.
In response, Naruhito recalled a fond childhood memory, sharing that his parents had been gifted yogurt starter culture, which sparked his fascination as a child.
"I found it very interesting that if you left a little bit each time, it would grow again and again," he said.
The conversation also touched on the design of the Bulgarian Pavilion at the 1970 Expo. Naruhito remarked that he remembered it being shaped to represent the mountains of Bulgaria.
Impressed, Radev responded that the mountains are one of Bulgaria's sources of national pride.
Given the emperor's known passion for mountain climbing, the president expressed hope that Naruhito and Empress Masako might one day visit Bulgaria, saying he would be delighted to guide them through the country's mountainous landscapes and scenic highland lakes.
Naruhito's conversation with Radev marked one of the emperor's meetings with world leaders who are visiting Japan for their countries' national days at the six-month expo, which runs through Oct. 13.
Earlier that day, the emperor also met with Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yomiuri Shimbun
5 hours ago
- Yomiuri Shimbun
2025 Expo ‘a Mirror of the Times' That Highlights International Affairs
The Yomiuri Shimbun King Frederik X of Denmark, fourth from left, walks on the Grand Ring at the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo. More than 50 days have passed since the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo began. Exhibits that evoke the future of society are popular, and the number of visitors is increasing after an initially slow start. Although they tend to be overlooked amid the spectacular exhibits, some events and activities during this 50-day period have reflected the complex state of the world today. The king's sales A procession led by the king of Denmark passed along the Grand Ring, the world's largest wooden structure and the symbol of the Expo, and made its way to the Japan Pavilion. Visitors held up their smartphones to record the scene. On April 24, it was Denmark's turn to mark 'National Day,' in which countries participating in the Expo showcase their cultures. King Frederik X — the successor to Queen Margrethe II, who enjoyed immense popularity during her 52-year reign — led the party, which included Danish corporate leaders. King Frederik chose Japan as the first Asian country to visit after his accession to the throne in January last year, accompanied by a business delegation including Danish Crown, his nation's largest meat producer. One of the accompanying members wrote in an email before arriving in Japan that she considered this visit to Japan to be 'particularly important.' One reason why is the Trump administration's tariff policy. Japan is gaining importance as a market amidst the instability of the global free trade system, and it has 'a long-standing partnership [with Denmark] grounded in mutual respect and values,' as King Frederik said in a speech at the Expo. The day before arriving in Osaka, the king stopped by Ippudo, a ramen chain restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo, that uses pork supplied by Danish Crown. He enjoyed a bowl in front of the press, helping to promote Danish products. 'A window to the world' Denmark has a population of just under 6 million, which is less than Chiba Prefecture. Two-thirds of its food production is exported, and the country relies on international trade to support its economy. 'We are a small country in a big world. So, we are a strong believer of free trade,' stressed delegation member Soren Sondergaard, who is president of the Danish Agriculture & Food Council. 'We don't like tariffs at all. For Denmark, Japan is a big, big, big export market for us where we would like to export more. ' After leaving the Expo site, Mr. Sondergaard and the delegation went to the head office of Suntory Holdings in Kita Ward, Osaka, which obtained beer manufacturing technology from Carlsberg in Denmark. They met with members of Japanese companies, with the 52 Danish participants exceeding the 42 from Japan. Following the event, a lively reception was held at the PRONTO bar on the ground floor of the building. Business exchange events related to Denmark are often held in Tokyo, so holding one in Osaka is a rare occurrence. Minister of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries Jacob Jensen emphasized, 'I believe that a small country like Denmark, with an open economy, we have huge interest in having loyal and long partnerships with good friends like Japan.' 'When you look at a map, you have Japan here, you have Denmark, long way, 13 hours in a plane directly, but still, we are very close in the way that we do business, in the way that we have values, democracies,' Jensen said. 'We have an open society, and we have also trust as a keyword in our society. Even though … we are far from each other in geography, I think we are very close in our mindset. The Expo is a window to the world.' A diplomatic stage The Expo also serves as a diplomatic stage in connection with ongoing global conflicts. Israel is exhibiting a 2,000-year-old building stone weighing approximately 1.5 tons from the Old City of East Jerusalem that dates back to the early Hasmonean Kingdom, a Jewish dynasty. The dynasty was established when the Jews regained their independence from Hellenistic rule. Gilad Cohen, Israel's ambassador to Japan, stated at the opening ceremony on April 23 that 'the pavilion expresses the connection between the people of Israel, their homeland and their capital, Jerusalem.' However, East Jerusalem is an area that Israel occupied after the 1967 Six-Day War. The Palestinian side considers it to be the capital of a future state. Most of the international community, which supports the 'two-state solution' between Israel and a future Palestinian state, does not recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and maintains that the status of Jerusalem should be decided through peace talks between Israel and Palestine. An expert on Middle Eastern politics said, 'Israel's exhibition at the Expo could cause controversy over its claim to the territory.' The Palestinian pavilion at the Expo site had not directly addressed the Gaza conflict. However, as the Israeli Army restarted its military operations in Gaza, the pavilion displayed QR codes at the end of May that link to information about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza to visitors. 'The world must see and acknowledge the truth. It's time for awareness to turn into action,' a Palestinian official said. 'Gaza has endured over 600 days of relentless suffering — children's lives lost, civilians bombed out of their shelters, famine ravaging communities and aid being misused for military purposes. It's a humanitarian crisis that demands urgent attention and tangible steps to end the suffering,' the official said. Russia withdrew from the Expo, but Ukraine is holding an exhibition to convey its position. To show their solidarity, a representative from the European Union visited the pavilion on May 9, followed by King Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden on the 14th and Norwegian foreign minister Espen Barth Eide on June 2. Taiwan, which China claims as part of its territory, is participating in the Expo under the name of a private company. The absence of the word 'Taiwan' in the exhibition area is seen as an attempt to avoid China's objections by framing it as a 'non-governmental' activity. While the Olympic Games, known as the 'Festival of Peace,' uphold political neutrality in the Olympic Charter, the Convention Relating to International Exhibitions that defines the nature of the Expo does not include neutrality provisions. Therefore, politics is not strictly off-limits. The Expo is often referred to as 'a mirror of the times.' With just over four months remaining, we will witness more realities of the global situation at this festive event. Political Pulse appears every Saturday. Kenji Nakanishi Kenji Nakanishi is a deputy editor in the City News Department of the Yomiuri Shimbun Osaka.
Kyodo News
a day ago
- Kyodo News
Kyodo News Digest: June 5, 2025
KYODO NEWS - 4 hours ago - 23:00 | Japan, World, All The following is the latest list of selected news summaries by Kyodo News. ---------- Japan convenience store chains start selling gov't stockpiled rice TOKYO - Two major convenience store chains in Japan began selling government-released stockpiled rice at select stores in Tokyo and Osaka on Thursday, joining major supermarkets and e-commerce platforms in a move to increase availability of the staple food for consumers struggling with soaring rice prices. The outlets of Family Mart Co. and Lawson Inc. will sell the rice from the 2021 harvest in small portions to make it affordable for people, including those living alone. ---------- Japan, EU to begin negotiations for security info-sharing pact BRUSSELS/PARIS - Japan and the European Union plan to begin negotiations to conclude an accord to facilitate exchanges of classified security information, an EU source said Thursday, amid China's military buildup in the Indo-Pacific region and Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The move, along with a plan to launch a dialogue framework to promote defense industry cooperation, is expected to be announced at a regular Japan-EU summit being arranged for July in the Asian country, the source said. ---------- Imperial family marks WWII evacuation ship tragedy in Okinawa NAHA, Japan - Japan's Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter Princess Aiko paid their respects Thursday in Okinawa to victims of a Japanese evacuation ship that was torpedoed by a U.S. submarine during World War II. On the final day of their two-day trip to the prefecture on the 80th year of the end of the war, the imperial family offered flowers and bowed deeply at a memorial in Naha for the Tsushima Maru incident, in which around 1,500 people, including hundreds of schoolchildren, were killed. ---------- Chinese suspect had money trouble with 2 Japanese slain in Dalian DALIAN, China - A Chinese man detained in late May on suspicion of murdering two Japanese nationals in Dalian, northeastern China, was involved in a financial dispute with the victims, who were his business partners, a source familiar with Sino-Japanese relations said Thursday. Hong Kong's Sing Tao daily reported the suspect Yuan Chenggong believed he had been deceived by the two Japanese men over the purchase of a hot spring hotel near Mt. Fuji, citing information posted on China's WeChat platform by a mainland Chinese journalist. ---------- Japan crime group leader in Philippines arrested over theft MANILA - The leader of a Japanese crime syndicate who is based in the Philippines and wanted in Japan for theft has been arrested, immigration authorities said Thursday. The "JP Dragon" gangster syndicate, led by Ryuji Yoshioka, 55, and operating from bases in Asia, is believed to have been involved in a string of fraud cases and thefts in Japan. ---------- Fuji Media to take legal action against 2 ex-execs over scandal TOKYO - Fuji Media Holdings Inc. said Thursday it will pursue legal action against two former top officials of its television network subsidiary over a sexual misconduct scandal involving popular TV host Masahiro Nakai and a former female employee. The decision to pursue litigation against former Fuji Television Network Inc. President Koichi Minato and former Managing Director Toru Ota follows a third-party panel report that found the female announcer was subjected to sexual violence by Nakai in June 2023 "as an extension of her job." ---------- Gov't to revoke Japan Post license for lax driver alcohol tests TOKYO - The government on Thursday notified Japan Post Co. of its plan to revoke the company's license to operate some 2,500 of its freight delivery vans and trucks after many post offices failed to properly check if drivers had consumed alcohol. License revocation is the most serious administrative penalty available to authorities under the motor truck transportation business law. It is rare for a major operator to face such a severe punishment and it means Japan Post will not be able to reacquire the license for five years. ---------- World Expo water shows halted after detection of legionella bacteria OSAKA - Water shows at the World Exposition in Osaka have been suspended through Friday after high levels of legionella bacteria were detected in seawater at the venue. Expo organizers said at a press conference on Thursday that the level of legionella detected in water from the Water Plaza in a test on Wednesday was 20 times higher than the allowable limit under their guideline, prompting them to cancel shows from Wednesday. Video: Yosakoi Soran Festival in Sapporo
Kyodo News
2 days ago
- Kyodo News
Japan's Princess Kako leaves for Brazil to mark 130 years of ties
KYODO NEWS - Jun 4, 2025 - 21:19 | All, Japan, World Japan's Princess Kako, a niece of Emperor Naruhito, departed for Brazil on Wednesday to promote ties between the two countries, which mark 130 years of diplomatic relations this year. The younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko will arrive in Sao Paulo on Thursday and plans to visit eight cities, including the capital, Brasilia and Rio de Janeiro. During her fourth official overseas visit, the princess will pay a courtesy call on President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and attend a commemorative event related to the anniversary, according to the Imperial Household Agency. She will also meet with locals of Japanese descent before returning to Japan on June 17. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese community outside Japan, with about 2.7 million people of Japanese descent living there, according to the Japanese Foreign Ministry. The first group of Japanese immigrants arrived in Brazil in 1908 under a government policy at the time to encourage emigration in the wake of an economic downturn and a growing population. Emperor Naruhito visited Brazil in 2008 as crown prince to mark the 100th anniversary of Japanese emigration to the South American country. The princess's older sister, Mako Komuro, also traveled to Brazil in 2018 for the 110th anniversary. In 2015, Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko visited Brazil for the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Related coverage: Japan imperial couple, Princess Aiko honor war dead in Okinawa Japan's former Princess Mako gives birth to 1st child Princess Aiko to make 1st official overseas visit in Nov. to Laos
