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Thursday, 26th February 2015
In Events In Japan,
Prince William arrives in Japan
Britain's Prince William has arrived in Japan today (February 26th ), with a packed itinerary that will see the royal visit a host of venues for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as a technology-based event in the capital's Roppongi district.
The Duke of Cambridge received tea on arrival complete with an almost sacred dance-like ritual completed at Hama Rikyu Gardens in the capital. He was not accompanied by the Duchess of Cambridge, however, as she is too heavily pregnant to travel.
William was met by governor of Tokyo Yoichi Masuzoe at Haneda Airport where he was escorted straight onto a boat that took him on a whistle-stop tour of the 2020 Olympic Games venues currently under construction.
Other notable stops on the Duke's tour include visiting the northeastern region of Fukushima where an enormous tsunami devastated settlements, with many thousands dead or relocated due to the tragedy.
William will pay tribute to the victims of the event and also show support for the survivors, the British Embassy in Tokyo said.
He will also return to Tokyo to take a hot spring bath and dine with prime minister Shinzo Abe, before visiting the Japanese Emperor Akihito and Crown Prince Naruhito at the Imperial Palace later this week.
Despite having the oldest monarchy in the world, many Japanese citizens are enamoured with the antics of the British royal family, and William's visit will no doubt be topical as his mother Princess Diana proved particularly popular when she visited in 1986, 1990 and 1995, sparking a phenomenon referred to in the press as Diana Fever.
Following his high-profile visit to the Land of the Rising Sun, William will head onto China before returning back to England to his pregnant wife and new job as an air ambulance pilot.
Visitors to Japan wishing to learn about the country's extraordinary royal family have plenty of opportunity to do so by visiting various attractions during their stay in Japan. The Imperial Palace in Tokyo is a great place to start, with a small yet interesting museum in the grounds of the East Gardens, which are open to the public.
Other parts of the palace are occasionally accessible to the public at certain times of the year, although you'll need to keep a careful eye on the website to learn when these are.
Other worthy attractions include the former Imperial Palace in Kyoto and the city's Katsura Imperial Villa. The former even occasionally hosts members of the Royal Family when they are visiting.
Related news stories:
Crown Prince urges Emperor Akihito to 'reduce burden' (24th February 2012)
Inside Japan UK office
Inside Japan US office
Inside Japan Australia office
Inside Japan - Japan office
