The Duke and Duchess of Edinbugh have busy second day in Japan

The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh had a busy second day in Japan.

The Duke of Edinburgh began the day in the Kasai Marine Park, a marine conservation area that demonstrates restoration and protection of the natural environment following significant environmental degradation and pollution.

The Duchess of Edinburgh began the day at the Ukraine Mental Health Exchange Centre, which is dedicated to supporting Ukrainian refugees and evacuees in Japan. There are over 1,500 Ukrainian refugees registered with them. They offer counselling and consultations. The Duchess learned about the work they do to alleviate the feelings of isolation among Ukrainian refugees.

In the afternoon, the Duke met with athletes competing in the World Athletics Championships (WAC) at the Ambassador’s Residence. The championships took place from 13 to 21 September in Tokyo. He then travelled to British School Tokyo’s Azubudai Hills Campus, where he met Principal Mr Ian Clayton, alongside Mr Kazuhiko Hirasawa from Seibi Home and Ms Kozue Oka, Executive Director of Mirai no Mori. Seibi Home cares for children who cannot live with their families and is supported by Mirai no Mori, which hosts nature programs for children. The Duke also met students participating in The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

The Duke then attended a reception and dinner held by BirdLife International, of which the Duke is the royal patron. He will be joined by UK Ambassador Julia Longbottom, Princess Takamado, and Mark Anderson, the CEO of Birdlife.

The Duchess toured the Nezu Museum’s ceramic exhibits and the Museum Garden in the afternoon. She was greeted by the Director, Mr Koichi Nezu, and
guided by the Chief Curator, Mr Takeshi Noguchi, through the collection. King Charles previously visited the Nezu Museum in 2019 when he was still the Prince of Wales. The Duchess then travelled to the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation, where she learned about new technology to support those with visual impairments. She met Dr Chieko Asakawa, Chief Executive Director, who discussed her experiences with blindness.

Afterwards, the Duchess joined a dinner with Japanese stakeholders working on Women, Peace and Security to learn more about what Japan is doing on the issues.