Japanese Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko are slated to visit Vietnam in September as part of the celebration of 50 years of diplomatic ties between the two countries, Japanese media reported last week.

The visit, to be made at the invitation of Vietnam’s Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong, has been scheduled to last for a week. 

The Japanese guests will visit Hanoi and participate in several significant events which mark the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan diplomatic relations.

Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of Emperor Naruhito, and his wife once visited Vietnam in 1999.

The coming visit will be Akishino’s third official overseas visit since his rise to first in line to the Chrysanthemum Throne, after his trips to Finland and Poland four years ago and to the UK for King Charles III’s coronation in May this year.

General Secretary Trong made the invitation during a virtual talk with Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, who is also the President of Japan’s Liberal Democratic Party, on February 9.

During the talk, the two leaders agreed that their nations will coordinate commemorative activities to create cohesion, promote comprehensive cooperation, and spur bilateral ties to a new height, bringing practical benefits to the two peoples.

On the occasion, the Vietnamese Party leader cordially invited the Japanese Emperor and Empress, and members of the Japanese government and imperial family to visit Vietnam soon.

Japan is Vietnam’s fourth-largest trade partner, with two-way trade reaching nearly U$50 billion in 2022, according to official sources.

Japanese investors are operating more than 5,000 investment projects in Vietnam with a total capital of over $70 billion, making it the third-largest among 143 countries and territories investing in the Southeast Asian country.

The Northeast Asian country is also the largest provider of official development assistance to Vietnam. 

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