Their Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko welcome East Timor Presidential couple, H.E Taur Matan Ruak and his wife  at the Imperial Palace.
Photo credit: Sankei

Her Imperial Highness Princess Mako of Akishino attended the memorial service for Tokyo Great Air Raid’s victims which occurred on March 10th 1945 in Tokyo on the occasion of 71st anniversary on March 10th.
Photo Credit: Sankei

On 1st March, HIH Crown Prince Naruhito met with President of the Arab Republic of Egypt HE Mr Abdel-Fattah El-SISI, at Imperial Palace on behave of his father HIM Emperor Akihito who was recently diagnosed with influenza.
After the audience, HIH Crown Prince hosted a luncheon for the President. His younger brother HIH Prince Fumihito of Akishino was in attendance.
Photo credit: Sankei

 During the week His Majesty King Carl XVI Gustaf was on a working visit to Japan, and on his last day he was invited by His Imperial Majesty Emperor Akihito and Her Imperial Majesty Empress Michiko to a dinner reception at Imperial Residence on February 19th.
Photo Credits: Sankei

Their Imperial Highness Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako attended the commemorating ceremony of the 110th anniversary of the establishment of Public Interest Incorporated Foundation SYD which is developing social education activity, took place in Tokyo on Feb 7th.
Photo Credits: Asahi

The Emperor Akihito of Japan had gathered on Wednesday January 27th in the largest military cemetery in the Philippines, during the first very symbolic event of its historic five-day visit in the archipelago.

After the morning was formally received by President Benigno Aquino at the presidential palace in Manila, Akihito, 82, went to bow to the hero Cemetery, erected in 1947 in memory of Filipinos killed in action during World War II.

The Japanese imperial couple on Tuesday began a historic visit to the archipelago to mark the sixtieth anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

This Friday, January 29, on the eve of their return to Tokyo, the Japanese Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko honored in Manila memory of Japanese soldiers killed during World War II during the brutal occupation of the Philippines by Japanese Imperial army.

After Wednesday, January 27 gathered in the largest military cemetery in the Philippines, the hero of the cemetery, built in 1947 in memory of the fallen Filipinos, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko paid tribute, two days later to their fellow patriot. They lost twice at the memorial erected for the Japanese dead in Caliraya, a resort located near a lake about three hours drive from Manila, and have laid wreaths of white flowers. The imperial couple then spoke to the descendants of the soldiers killed during the war.

The Emperor and Empress arrived in Manila Tuesday, January 26 for a historic five-day visit to the archipelago to mark the 60th anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the two countries. The Philippines, which were previously under American domination, suffered between 1942 and 1945 a very harsh occupation of the Japanese army and were the scene of some of the bloodiest fighting of the war in Asia.

Akihito, who was 11 when the war ended with the nuclear destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, made tributes to Japanese and non-Japanese victims of the war a pillar of his reign of nearly three decades, called Heisei or "achievement of peace." The emperor of Japan has already visited other places where Japanese soldiers and civilians have led desperate fighting on behalf of his father Hirohito, like last year in Palau, a string of islands to the east of Philippines.
Photo Credits: Paris Match

The Emperor is in the Philippines arrived Tuesday for a historic visit to the pilgrimage-like memorials of the Second World War, 71 years after the liberation of archipel. His Majesty Emperor Akihito, 82, made tributes to the victims of Japanese and non-Japanese war a pillar of his reign of nearly three decades, called Heisei or "fulfillment of the peace" in the presence of Her Majesty Empress Michiko for a five-day stay


"Many Filipinos, Americans and Japanese were killed in the Philippines during the war," said Akihito in a ceremony before leaving Tokyo.
"We want to make this visit still having that in mind."
Clearly pacifist message of the emperor, who was greeted on the tarmac in Manila by the Philippine President Benigno Aquino, in contrast to the nationalist bias of the Japanese government.
The Prime Minister Shinzo Abe seeks to revise the pacifist constitution inherited from the American occupation after the war, to give a more active role in Japan on the international stage.
Akihito has visited other places where soldiers and Japanese civilians have led desperate fighting on behalf of his father Hirohito.
In Philippines, where battles took place among the most terrible of world conflict in Asia, the Imperial couple visited the Cemetery of Heroes memorial Filipino soldiers killed. They also bow before a monument to the victims of the Japanese conflit.Cette visit aims to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the restoration of diplomatic relations.
Over the decades, Manila and Tokyo have become allies. Japan is the largest foreign investor in the Philippines, which it supplies its largest subsidy. Manila also relies increasingly on Tokyo in its territorial disputes with Beijing in méridionale.
Photo credit: Paris Match