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U.S. gives green light to Imperial Couple's visit to Saipan
The U.S. government has told Japan that it welcomes a proposed visit by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to the U.S.-administered Pacific island of Saipan ahead of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II this year.
After receiving official agreement on the visit from the United States, the Japanese government sent an advance group to the island, part of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, on Thursday and Friday.
The visit, which is being planned for the latter half of June, is intended as a memorial trip for those who died in the war. It marks the first time the Emperor and Empress have visited the island.
Japan entered into negotiations with U.S. officials over the trip in February after receiving a strong request from the Emperor and Empress, and the United States conveyed its approval of the trip to Japanese Embassy officials at the beginning of this month.
An advance team of five people including those from the Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs Bureau conducted an examination of a war memorial that the Japanese government erected on the island in 1974. The Emperor and Empress plan to lay flowers at the memorial during their visit.
Originally the end of March had been considered as a time to make the trip, but it was put off because it clashed with a visit to Japan by foreign leaders.
Plans had also been drawn up for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to visit the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, where many victims died during the war, but these visits are expected to be cancelled because of difficulties in local transport and security issues. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, April 9, 2005)
Provided by Mainichi Shimbun
The U.S. government has told Japan that it welcomes a proposed visit by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to the U.S.-administered Pacific island of Saipan ahead of the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II this year.
After receiving official agreement on the visit from the United States, the Japanese government sent an advance group to the island, part of the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands, on Thursday and Friday.
The visit, which is being planned for the latter half of June, is intended as a memorial trip for those who died in the war. It marks the first time the Emperor and Empress have visited the island.
Japan entered into negotiations with U.S. officials over the trip in February after receiving a strong request from the Emperor and Empress, and the United States conveyed its approval of the trip to Japanese Embassy officials at the beginning of this month.
An advance team of five people including those from the Foreign Ministry's North American Affairs Bureau conducted an examination of a war memorial that the Japanese government erected on the island in 1974. The Emperor and Empress plan to lay flowers at the memorial during their visit.
Originally the end of March had been considered as a time to make the trip, but it was put off because it clashed with a visit to Japan by foreign leaders.
Plans had also been drawn up for Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to visit the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia and Palau, where many victims died during the war, but these visits are expected to be cancelled because of difficulties in local transport and security issues. (Mainichi Shimbun, Japan, April 9, 2005)
Provided by Mainichi Shimbun