TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Princess Aiko, the only child of Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, departed Monday for Laos on her first official overseas trip to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the two counties establishing diplomatic ties.
During her six-day trip through Saturday, the 23-year-old princess will meet Laotian President Thongloun Sisoulith and attend a banquet, the Imperial Household Agency said. She will also learn about Laotian history and culture and interact with locals.
Anticipation for her debut on the global stage has grown, as fostering friendship with other countries is regarded as a major role of the imperial family.
According to the agency, the princess will arrive in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, on Monday night. On Tuesday, she will visit major landmarks, such as the Patuxai war monument, before paying a courtesy call on Thongloun. In the evening, a state banquet will be held, hosted by Vice President Pany Yathotou.
On Thursday, the princess will travel by rail to the ancient capital of Luang Prabang, where she will visit the national museum and the famous Wat Xieng Thong temple.
During her trip, she will also visit a children's hospital built with Japanese aid, and a school where Japanese-language teachers work.
Japan has a long history of assisting Laos, the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia, starting with the dispatch of volunteers through a program operated by the Japan International Cooperation Agency in 1965. Since then, Japan has also provided support for infrastructure development and worker training.
A former diplomat noted that Laotians "feel a sense of closeness to Japan."
During the Vietnam War, Laos was used as a supply route by North Vietnam and was bombed with an estimated 2 to 3 million tons of cluster munitions.
Laotians continue to suffer from unexploded ordnance today, with the country considered the most unexploded ordnance-contaminated in the world on a per capita basis.
According to a close aide, Princess Aiko will visit an exhibition facility on unexploded ordnances on Wednesday because "understanding a country, including its dark history, is a sign of friendship."
At a news conference in 2023 before his visit to Indonesia, Emperor Naruhito emphasized the importance of overseas visits by the imperial family, calling them "extremely valuable opportunities to deepen mutual understanding and goodwill."
