Royal Diplomacy: Princess Akiko Embarks on Cultural Mission to the UK and France

Princess Akiko of the Mikasa family left today for a nine-day visit to England and France. Princess Akiko was seen off by officials at Haneda Airport, and departed for London, England, on a private plane just after 11:30 a.m. There was an equipment problem on the plane I boarded, and my flight was delayed by more than an hour and a half. After arriving in the UK, Princess Akiko attended a banquet at the Sainsbury Institute of Japanese Art on the 8th, and on the 9th, she attended an international conference commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Institute’s founding, titled “Treasure Hunt at the British Museum – A Reproduction of the Murals of Horyuji Temple.” It will be presented under the theme of “What the people have to say.” After the announcement, Princess Akiko, who serves as honorary president of the Japan Rugby Football Union, will travel to France to watch a rugby match between Japan and France in Paris. On the 11th, he returned to England, and on the 12th he visited Oxford University, where he had been studying, and gave a lecture sponsored by the Nissan Institute for Japanese Studies, which conducts research on Japanese history and society. He will give a lecture on the theme of “The Story of the Royal Family and the Imperial Household: The Trajectory of Anglo-Japanese Exchange.” Princess Akiko’s visit is unofficial and she will return to Japan on the 15th.

TBS TV