Historic Japan royal rendezvous

First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos is set to join President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on a state visit to Japan from 26 to 29 May where they will meet with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.

In a statement on Friday, Malacañang said the President and the First Lady may also be received by the Emperor and Empress of Japan at the Imperial Palace for a welcome ceremony, state call, and banquet.

The Palace said the President will hold a summit meeting with Takaichi, where the two leaders are expected to discuss the trajectory of the Philippines-Japan Strengthened Strategic Partnership, as well as recent international developments, particularly in energy, food, and maritime security.

Business agenda

President Marcos is also scheduled to meet with Japanese business groups and the Filipino community as part of his official engagements.

The last state visit to Japan by a Philippine president was made by President Benigno Aquino III in June 2015, while in January 2016 Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko undertook a state visit to the Philippines.

The two nations are commemorating the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations this year.