Tokyo (The Japan News) - As the Reiwa era begins, Japan is busy with a series of diplomatic events. U.S. President Donald Trump will be the first state guest welcomed by the new Emperor.
His visit this month will be followed by a summit meeting of the Group of 20 major economies in June and the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD) in August, and almost 200 heads of state are expected to attend a series of events related to the Imperial succession in October.
Trump’s planned visit “symbolizes the unwavering bonds between Japan and the United States,” as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has said. Trump will visit with first lady Melania Trump on May 25 and meet with the Emperor and Empress during his four-day visit in Japan. He plans to have talks with Abe, play golf and watch the Summer Grand Sumo Tournament, too.
The prime minister will chair the G20 meeting in Osaka, an event described by Foreign Minister Taro Kono as “the largest summit meeting Japan has ever hosted.”
Trump will visit Japan in two consecutive months, while Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin and others will attend the G20 meeting, where representatives of a total of 37 countries and international bodies will convene.
As for the Japan-led TICAD, its seventh meeting will be held in Yokohama in August, attended by the heads of up to 54 African nations, as well as repre- sentatives of partner countries and international organizations that support Africa’s development.
In October, important figures from all over the world will come to Japan for the enthronement of the Emperor. Imperial events including the Ceremony of the Enthronement of the Emperor at the Seiden (State Hall) on Oct. 22, followed by four days of Court Banquets on Oct. 22, 25, 29 and 31, will all take place at the Imperial Palace. A banquet hosted by the prime minister and his wife will be held on Oct. 23 in Tokyo.
The government invited the heads of all 195 states recognized by Japan, following the pattern of the same ceremony held in 1990. The number of countries has grown following such world events as the dissolution of the Soviet Union, and the number of countries invited this time have increased by 30 from the previous enthronement. Representatives of the United Nations and the European Union have also been invited.
Also expected are visits by the heads of countries participating in the 2019 Rugby World Cup, with games to be held on 12 fields across Japan from September to November.
The Foreign Ministry has been busy booking accommodations and vehicles for those visitors from across the world. Offices have been set up at the ministry’s meeting rooms for each of the events, and staff members from Japanese embassies and consulates are being brought to the ministry to prepare for them.
The ministry has received inquiries from various nations asking which of the series of meetings and events should be prioritized.
“We are asking each country to decide at its own discretion. But we expect them to attend all of them,” a senior ministry official said.Speech
