Emperor Naruhito honored Japan’s and the Philippines’ enduring ties, expressing hopes that the relationship can grow stronger, in a speech on Wednesday at a state banquet for Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and his wife, Louise Araneta-Marcos.
The banquet was attended by around 90 people and marked the first time for Prince Hisahito, the 19-year-old son of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, to attend such an event following his coming-of-age ceremony last year.
Marcos thanked the imperial couple for their hospitality, proposing a toast to the two countries’ ‘enduring friendship’, which he hopes will ‘flourish for future generations’.
Prince Hisahito, who is second in line to the throne, was seen holding a soft drink for the toast.
At the banquet, the emperor alluded to Japan’s occupation of the Philippines in World War II, reflecting that the countries' ‘shared history in the aftermath of the War was not without its complications’.
The emperor expressed his ‘profound gratitude’ for the donations and aid provided by the Philippines, which he described as Japan’s close neighbor connected by sea, during the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake that devastated the country’s northeast and the 2024 quake that struck the Noto Peninsula.
He extended his condolences for the lives lost in an earthquake and typhoon that struck the Philippine island of Cebu last year.
Marcos received an honor guard salute from the Self-Defense Forces ceremonial unit, and the two countries’ national anthems were played during the welcome ceremony held at the palace’s East Gardens.
The imperial couple met with the presidential couple for around 20 minutes in the palace’s Take no Ma stateroom,
Earlier, Marcos noted that bilateral relations had developed remarkably across many fields, with many Filipinos working in Japan as nurses and in other professions.
The emperor responded by expressing his gratitude for their significant contribution to Japan, the Imperial Household Agency said.
The four-day state visit coincides with the 70th anniversary year of the normalization of diplomatic relations and comes as Japan seeks to deepen ties with the Philippines amid an increasingly complicated regional security environment.