JakartaPost-June 19
Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrived in Jakarta over the weekend Saturday for their first state visit since ascending the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019. The June 17-23 trip to Indonesia includes a meeting with President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo at the Bogor Palace and a visit to a military cemetery honoring Indonesian and Japanese soldiers. Japan ruled Indonesia for more than three years during and after World War II, capturing it from the Dutch East Indies without a fight and breaking the image of Dutch superiority. The Japanese surrender at the end of the war paved the way for Indonesian independence in 1945 despite Dutch attempts to wrest back its former colony. “Since the war, Japan has worked hard to contribute to international peace and prosperity with Asian countries including Indonesia,” Naruhito told reporters Thursday before the trip. “Based on the countries’ history of diplomacy, I hope this visit will help deepen the friendly relationship between our nations.” Naruhito, the grandson of Emperor Hirohito in whose name Japan fought World War Two, is Japan’s first monarch born after the war. “Working with new and developing countries is becoming increasingly important to resolve global issues such as climate change, energy, and food,” he said at a news conference held at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. Noting that this year marks 50 years of relations between Japan and the Southeast Asian bloc ASEAN, he said he hoped to see a further deepening of ties between Japan and ASEAN chair Indonesia. At the press conference, Naruhito spoke of hearing about his parents’ wartime experiences and said that he would inherit their dedication to peace. “There was a difficult time in our relations with Indonesia,” Naruhito said, adding that his heart hurt when he thinks of the many lives lost and the suffering and pain of the war. Read more at:
