The Emperor of Japan, Naruhito, and Empress Masako begin their state visit to Belgium on Saturday to commemorate 160 years of diplomatic relations between the two nations.
They are scheduled to arrive late morning at the military airport in Melsbroek, where Princess Elisabeth will greet them.
Public activities for the imperial couple are set to start on Tuesday, but they will first stay at the royal residence, Château de Ciergnon, in the Namur province. Upon arrival, they will go directly to the château for a quiet retreat until Monday.
On Monday afternoon, the emperor and empress will travel to Laeken, where they will be received and accommodated at the royal palace.
The official programme begins on Tuesday in Brussels with a formal ceremony at the Place des Palais. They will then visit the Grand-Place to meet local officials and wave to onlookers from the balcony of the town hall. The afternoon is scheduled for meetings with Belgian political leaders, including Prime Minister Bart De Wever. Their day will conclude with a state dinner at Laeken Palace.
On Wednesday, Emperor Naruhito and King Philippe will head to Namur for a presentation on the hydrological history of the province. The emperor has a deep interest in water and its historical significance, having studied river transport history at the University of Oxford and served as honorary president of the UN Secretary-General’s Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation from 2007 to 2015.
Later that day, the emperor will visit Louvain, including the Imec microelectronics centre, which employs around 100 Japanese researchers. He will then explore the East Asian Library at KU Leuven, home to nearly 14,000 volumes donated by Japan after the First World War. Many documents date back to the Edo period (1603–1868), and a curated selection will be presented to him from the university’s archives.
The royal visit will conclude on 25 June with a meeting with members of the Japanese diaspora at the ambassador’s residence before the couple departs Belgium.
