Japanese Emperor, Empress end their 8-day visit to Mongolia
On Saturday, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived at a horse racing venue about 40 kilometers from the capital Ulaanbaatar. Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife were there to welcome them.
Horse racing is one of the main events of the Naadam traditional sports festival. They attended the festival's opening ceremony in the capital the previous day.
More than 100 horses ridden by children as jockeys race through a 22-kilometer grassland course. The event symbolizes the tradition of Mongolians as nomads on horseback.
Later, the couple visited the Hustai National Park to see the oldest species of wild horse known as Takhi. The animal was once declared extinct in wild in the 1960s but is being reintroduced to its natural habitat.
After the visit, the Emperor shared with reporters his thoughts on what he experienced in Mongolia. He said it was a week of pleasant exposure to Mongolia's rich history, culture and beautiful natural surroundings.
He also said he met youth who are interested in Japan and eager to deepen their understanding of the country. He said some of them expressed a desire to visit or stay in Japan to study. He said he felt their passions for Japan.
The Imperial couple are due to depart Mongolia on Sunday.
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Japan Times
13-07-2025
- Japan Times
Japanese Emperor, Empress deepen ties with Mongolia
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako deepened their bonds with Mongolia during an eight-day state visit to the country. The Imperial couple are scheduled to return from the trip on Sunday. During the visit, the Emperor and the Empress met with Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife, and attended the opening ceremony for Naadam, a traditional festival in Mongolia. With this year marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako paid tribute to Japanese nationals who died in detention in Mongolia in the aftermath of the war. They also interacted with Mongolians from a wide range of generations, including young people who are expected to serve as a bridge between the two countries. Respect for Mongolian Culture At an airport in Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, on July 6, the first day of the trip, the couple were welcomed by a Mongolian woman wearing a traditional costume, who offered them aaruul, a local dairy food. At a banquet hosted by the Mongolian first couple Tuesday, President Khurelsukh said in a welcome address that the Japanese Imperial couple's visit to his country will be remembered as a milestone in the history of the two countries' friendship. In response, Emperor Naruhito delivered an address, partially in Mongolian. He then played two songs on the viola in a joint performance with the Mongolian State Morin Khuur Ensemble, getting a big round of applause. Emperor Naruhito also visited the Chinggis Khaan National Museum and Gandantegchinlen Monastery, a Buddhist temple, to show his respect for Mongolia's history and culture. He also went to Mongol Kosen College of Technology — an educational institution modeled after Japanese technical colleges known as "kosen" — and a water-related facility built with assistance from Japan. It rained during the couple's tour of Mongolia, but this was welcomed as a good omen due to the country's dry climate. Spotlight on History of Internment On Tuesday, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited a cenotaph built in Ulaanbaatar for the Japanese who were detained by the former Soviet Union after World War II and died in Mongolia. As the rain fell, the Emperor and Empress laid wreaths at the monument and observed a minute of silence, followed by a deep bow. The Imperial couple then folded their umbrellas and bowed to the cenotaph again. It was the first time that a Japanese emperor has paid tribute at a site where Japanese were detained during or after the war. Fusae Suzuki, 88, whose father died during detention in Mongolia, accompanied the Imperial couple on their visit to the cenotaph. "The spotlight had not been on the detainees in Mongolia, but their souls can now rest in peace," she said, expressing her gratitude to Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako for their visit to the monument. Regarding the reason the Emperor and the Empress folded their umbrellas during their prayers, an official from the Imperial Household Agency said they may have thought that it was not appropriate to pay tribute to the deceased while using them. Ulziitogtokh, a Mongolian, who built a museum about the Japanese detainees, met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the official residence of Japan's ambassador to Mongolia on Friday. The Imperial couple's latest visit made Mongolians from various generations know about Japanese detainees, said Ulziitogtokh.
NHK
12-07-2025
- NHK
Japanese Emperor, Empress end their 8-day visit to Mongolia
Japan's Imperial couple have completed the main events of their eight-day official visit to Mongolia. On Saturday, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived at a horse racing venue about 40 kilometers from the capital Ulaanbaatar. Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife were there to welcome them. Horse racing is one of the main events of the Naadam traditional sports festival. They attended the festival's opening ceremony in the capital the previous day. More than 100 horses ridden by children as jockeys race through a 22-kilometer grassland course. The event symbolizes the tradition of Mongolians as nomads on horseback. Later, the couple visited the Hustai National Park to see the oldest species of wild horse known as Takhi. The animal was once declared extinct in wild in the 1960s but is being reintroduced to its natural habitat. After the visit, the Emperor shared with reporters his thoughts on what he experienced in Mongolia. He said it was a week of pleasant exposure to Mongolia's rich history, culture and beautiful natural surroundings. He also said he met youth who are interested in Japan and eager to deepen their understanding of the country. He said some of them expressed a desire to visit or stay in Japan to study. He said he felt their passions for Japan. The Imperial couple are due to depart Mongolia on Sunday.
12-07-2025
Japan's Emperor, Empress Watch Mongolian Horse Race
Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, July 12 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako watched a horse race in Mongolia held as part of the country's traditional Naadam festival on Saturday morning. At the Khui Doloon Khudag horse race venue approximately 40 kilometers west of the city center of Ulaanbaatar, the capital of Mongolia, the Japanese Imperial couple were welcomed by Mongolian President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife. They chatted inside a ger, a Mongolian portable home, before coming outside to watch the race of 5-year-old horses in the open grass field. Over 100 horses mounted by children competed in the roughly 22-kilometer race. The Emperor and the Empress used binoculars to watch the horses dashing through the grassland. In the afternoon, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako visited Hustai National Park, located about 100 kilometers west of central Ulaanbaatar. The park is home to the Przewalski's horse, a Mongolian wild horse. [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
