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Japan Times
13-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 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.
Yahoo
06-07-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Japan's emperor begins a weeklong visit to Mongolia that will honor POWs
TOKYO (AP) — Japan's Emperor Naruhito began a weeklong visit to Mongolia on Sunday during which he plans to honor thousands of Japanese prisoners of World War II who were held under harsh conditions in the country. Naruhito's visit marks the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. In recent years, he has toured some of the places where the bloodiest battles and bombings occurred, including Iwo Jima, Okinawa and Hiroshima. The emperor has said it's part of his effort at atonement and remembrance of the tragedy of war fought in the name of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito. While the vast majority of Japanese soldiers were taken to Siberia, around 12,000 to 14,000 ended up in Mongolia, which was fighting alongside the Soviets against Japan. Most of the POWs were put to hard labor and construction work for the Mongolian government's headquarters, a state university and a theater that are still preserved in the capital Ulaanbaatar. The prisoners toiled under harsh conditions and scarce food. Japanese records show about 1,700 of them died in Mongolia. 'As we mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the war this year, we should never forget the pain and sorrow of the people,' Naruhito said last week. 'I believe it is important to not forget those who died, deepen understanding of the wartime past and to nurture the peace-loving heart.' Naruhito and Masako were scheduled to meet Mongolia's President Ukhnaa Khurelsukh and his wife. The couple will also attend the opening ceremony of Naadam, Mongolia's annual festival that focuses on three traditional games of horseracing, wrestling and archery. Naruhito had previously visited Mongolia as crown prince in 2007. ___ Associated Press writer Mari Yamaguchi contributed to this report.
