THE ASAHI SHIMBUN
August 12, 2025 at 18:43 JST
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, visit Itoman, Okinawa Prefecture, on June 4 ahead of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. (Koichi Ueda)
Emperor Naruhito, Empress Masako and their daughter, Princess Aiko, will visit Nagasaki Prefecture from Sept. 12 to 14 for the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
The Imperial Household Agency announced the itinerary on Aug. 12.
The imperial couple this year have traveled to critical areas related to the war, such as Iwoto island, formerly known as Iwojima, Okinawa and Hiroshima prefectures, and Mongolia, to mark the end of WWII.
Every year on Aug. 9, the date the atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, the couple and Aiko have offered a moment of silence.
In line with Naruhito and Masako’s wish to attend memorial services as a family, Aiko will visit Nagasaki for the first time.
On Sept. 12 and 13, they will lay flowers at Nagasaki Peace Park in the city and are scheduled to meet with residents at the Meguminooka Nagasaki Genbaku Home.
The princess will return to Tokyo afterward.
Naruhito and Masako will then travel to Sasebo, also in Nagasaki Prefecture, where they will attend the Nagasaki peace cultural festival on Sept. 14.
Emperor to honor wartime detainees during visit to Mongolia
July 3, 2025
Emperor turns 65, renews hope for peace 80 years after war
February 23, 2025
A dog named Yuri is Princess Aiko’s constant companion
December 19, 2021
Aiko makes her debut at duck hunting with foreign envoys
February 15, 2025
Relaxed imperial family enjoys first retreat in over 3 years
April 6, 2023
Imperial family returns to Nasu for first retreat there in 4 years
August 22, 2023
A peek through the music industry’s curtain at the producers who harnessed social media to help their idols go global.
A series based on diplomatic documents declassified by Japan’s Foreign Ministry
Here is a collection of first-hand accounts by “hibakusha” atomic bomb survivors.
Cooking experts, chefs and others involved in the field of food introduce their special recipes intertwined with their paths in life.
A series about Japanese-Americans and their memories of World War II
