Princess Aiko returned home on November 22 from her first official overseas visit to Laos. She arrived in the Southeast Asian nation on Monday amid the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between Japan and Laos. In a statement after her return, the princess expressed gratitude for the warm hospitality and hoped for deeper friendship between the two countries.
Princess Aiko, daughter of Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, arrived in Laos on November 18 for her first official overseas visit, which lasted five days. The trip marked the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos, and she received hospitality on par with heads of state.
During the visit, the princess paid a courtesy call on President Thongloun Sisoulith and attended a banquet hosted by Vice President Pany Yathotou. In Vientiane, she visited the COPE Visitor Center, an educational facility on unexploded ordnance from the Vietnam War, where she was impressed by long-term support from the Japanese government and private sector.
She also toured a combined junior and senior high school with Japanese language classes, a martial arts center where a Japan International Cooperation Agency member teaches judo, and a children's hospital partly operated by a Japanese nonprofit organization. In her statement, the princess said, "I realized that the friendship between Japan and Laos has been fostered and developed through exchanges between people of the two countries." She added, "I was very encouraged to learn that the rich exchanges between the two countries are firmly rooted among young generations."
On Saturday, November 22, Princess Aiko returned to Japan on a commercial flight, landing at Narita International Airport in Chiba Prefecture in the morning. Through the Imperial Household Agency, she released a statement expressing, "Thanks to Laotian people’s warm personalities and thoughtfulness, it became a fulfilling and unforgettable visit." She hoped, "I would be pleased if my visit will help further broaden the exchanges between Japan and Laos in the future," and renewed her determination to follow in the footsteps of previous imperial family members, including the Emperor Emeritus and Empress Emerita, to promote international goodwill.
The visit highlighted grassroots exchanges as a foundation for Japan-Laos ties.