20-05-2025
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.
