The Duke and Duchess of Edinbugh meet Hello Kitty on first day of Japan visit

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh are in Japan for a five-day visit.

Their first engagement after arriving in Japan was to attend the MUSUBI initiative reception at the British Ambassador’s Residence, and Hello Kitty welcomed them in front of the residence, who is a MUSUBI friendship ambassador. The Duke of Edinburgh gave the ‘kanpai’ or toast to celebrate the success of the initiative.

Afterwards, the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh were received in audience by the Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko of Japan. This visit is in recognition of the close ties between the two families.

In a royal favourite, their next engagement was to participate in a tree planting ceremony. In the garden of the Akasaka State Guest House, the Duke and Duchess planted an oak sapling cultivated from seed of the original tree that the late Queen Elizabeth II planted during a state visit in May 1975.

The Duke and Duchess then travelled to the National Sumo Arena, where they were received by the Chairman of the Sumo Association and a wrestler. They observed several sumo wrestling matches.

For their final engagement of the day, the Duke and Duchess met with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to celebrate the relationship between the United Kingdom and Japan.