King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima of the Netherlands will undertake a three day State Visit to Japan, the Dutch Government Information Service confirmed on Friday. In a separate statement and some time later it was announced that the King and Queen will also pay a State Visit to the Republic of Korea, 3-4 November.
The State Visits, which the Dutch Government and Court so pointedly are keeping separate in order not to offend the host countries, are respectively the second and third of King Willem-Alexander since he succeeded his mother Queen Beatrix on 30 April 2013. Earlier this year the royal couple visited Poland.
In Tokyo the Ministry of Foreign Affairs made a similar announcement, give further details of the upcoming visit, saying King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima will arrive on 28 October, and will stay as State Guests until 31 October. They will make a call the Emperor and Empress, who will also host a State Banquet in their honor. Japanese Prime Minister Mr. Shinzo Abe will also meet the Royal visitors and host a dinner .
In the announcemnet the Ministry said that "The Government of Japan sincerely welcomes the visit of Their Majesties the King and Queen of the Netherlands, and it is expected that Their Majesties’ visit will further strengthen the friendly relations between Japan and the Kingdom of the Netherlands."
As Crown Prince Willem-Alexander visited Japan already in 1991, when he stood in for his father Prince Claus when his mother Queen Beatrix paid the first ever Dutch State Visit to Japan. Willem-Alexander had already been to Japan before, attending the coronation of Emperor Akihito one year earlier. And as Prince he has made many return visits ever since. The Dutch royal family and the Japanese Imperial Family have strong bonds, as evidenced by the Crown Prince and Crown Princess' attendance at Willem-Alexander's inauguration last year April.
KOREA
The State Visit to Korea is a historic first. Seoul had already invited Queen Beatrix many years ago, but the Dutch Foreign Ministry kept the Koreans waiting a while longer. Korean President Park Geun-hye visited the Netherlands in March, and was invited to lunch at the Royal Palace in The Hague, where she also met with the former queen.
© Royalblog, Hans Jacobs; Photos: Screenshots; © Monarchy Press Europe, Patrick van Katwijk (above)
The announcement in Japanese:
1 ウィレム・アレキサンダー・オランダ王国国王陛下（His Majesty King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands）及び同王妃陛下(Her Majesty Queen Máxima)が10月28日から我が国を訪問され，31日まで国賓として滞在されます。
2 滞在中，天皇皇后両陛下は，同国王王妃両陛下と御会見になるほか，宮中晩餐を催されます。また，安倍晋三内閣総理大臣は，同国王王妃両陛下と懇談し，夕食会を催す予定です。
3 同国王王妃両陛下の来日を心から歓迎するとともに，国王王妃両陛下の来日により，我が国とオランダ王国との親善関係が一段と深まることが期待されます。
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