Japan's emperor and empress arrive in Belgium for state visit

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan are making a two-day state visit to Belgium on 23 and 24 June to mark 160 years of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

According to the Belgian diplomatic service, the visit is taking place “under the sign of friendship and cooperation in many fields” and aims to highlight the close ties between the Belgian Royal Family and the Japanese Imperial Family.

The visit also carries a broader political message. Belgium and Japan share “similar values, visions and interests”, including support for the international order based on the rule of law, peace and security, and efforts to combat climate change. It added that, in a world marked by instability, the two countries want to underline their “crucial and lasting cooperation to face common threats”.

Economic ties are another key theme of the visit. More than 280 Japanese companies operate in Belgium, supporting nearly 30,000 jobs in sectors including automotive, logistics, chemicals and biotechnology.

Japan is also one of Belgium’s most important trading partners outside the European Union, ranking as its 25th-largest export market and fourth-largest non-European supplier.

The royal visit

The visit includes official ceremonies in Brussels, meetings with Belgian political leaders and a state banquet at the Castle of Laeken. On Wednesday, the imperial couple will travel to Namur before visiting the microelectronics research centre Imec and KU Leuven, where they will tour the East Asian Library and its collection of historic Japanese works. The programme will conclude with a visit to the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken and the Japanese Tower.

Belgium and Japan’s alliance dates back to the Treaty of Amity, Commerce and Navigation signed in 1866.