Japan's Crown Prince and Princess Akishino Leave for Paraguay
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Japan's Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko departed Haneda Airport in Tokyo on Tuesday for an official visit to Paraguay, marking the 90th anniversary of Japanese emigration to the South American country.
The couple's daughter, Princess Kako, was present at the airport to see her parents off before their departure.
During the visit, the Crown Prince and Crown Princess are expected to attend a commemorative ceremony celebrating nine decades since the first Japanese settlers arrived in Paraguay. They will also hold meetings with members of the Japanese-Paraguayan community, many of whom are descendants of those early immigrants.
According to reports surrounding the trip, an ambassador from another country reportedly asked the Crown Prince why Japan's royal family maintains such a close relationship with Japanese communities living abroad, particularly in Paraguay.
In response, the couple reportedly expressed deep gratitude for the enduring affection and loyalty that Japanese-Paraguayans have shown toward Japan, even generations after their ancestors first settled in the country.
The relationship between Japan's imperial family and overseas Japanese communities has historically played a significant role in the country's cultural diplomacy, helping to reinforce bonds between Japan and nations with large Japanese-descended populations.
Paraguay is home to one of the more established Japanese immigrant communities in South America, with many families having built agricultural settlements after arriving in the 1930s.
This visit by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess is seen as both a symbolic gesture of respect toward the Japanese-Paraguayan community and an opportunity to strengthen diplomatic and cultural ties between Japan and Paraguay.
Members of Japan's royal family have periodically travelled overseas to mark significant historical anniversaries related to Japanese emigration, underscoring the government's continued interest in supporting communities with Japanese heritage worldwide.
Vocabulary7 words
- official visit
- a formal trip made by an important government or royal person
- emigration
- leaving your own country to live in another one
- commemorative ceremony
- a formal event held to remember or celebrate something important
- Japanese-Paraguayan community
- a group of people in Paraguay with Japanese family background
- ambassador
- an official who represents their country in another nation
- royal family
- the family of an emperor or king
- diplomacy
- the work of managing relationships between countries
Quiz
Answer key
1. The 90th anniversary of Japanese emigration to Paraguay 2. Why Japan's royal family has such a close relationship with Japanese communities abroad 3. False
Discussion questions
- Why might royal visits to overseas communities carry symbolic weight in international relations?
- How can long-established immigrant communities influence diplomatic ties between two countries?
- What role do you think 'soft power' and cultural diplomacy play in modern international relations?
- Why might other countries' ambassadors be curious about Japan's relationship with its emigrant communities abroad?