Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako have embarked on an 8-day state visit to Britain.

The Emperor and Empress departed on a government plane from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on Saturday. Crown Prince and Princess Akishino were among those seeing the Imperial couple off.

The visit was initially scheduled for 2020 at the invitation of Queen Elizabeth II. But it was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic. This time, the Emperor and Empress were invited by King Charles.

Japan’s Imperial family and the British Royal family have been close for many years. British Ambassador to Japan Julia Longbottom said this is a third-generation visit to Britain by a Japanese Emperor and Empress. She stressed it symbolizes the strong bonds and friendship between the British Royal and Japanese Imperial families.

Japan and Britain fought each other during World War Two. But the Imperial family and the Royal family resumed their exchanges after the war. Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun visited Britain in 1971 on a tour of Europe.

Emperor Emeritus Akihito and Empress Emerita Michiko made a state visit to Britain in 1998, when they were Emperor and Empress. The visit was not without controversy. Footage from the time shows people turning their backs on the Imperial couple. They included former British soldiers and prisoners of war captured by the now-defunct Japanese Imperial Army. They continued to oppose the couple’s visit 50 years after the end of the war.

Emperor Naruhito noted before his departure that there was a difficult period in the bilateral relationship during the 20th century. But he says Japan and Britain currently enjoy a close cooperative relationship in a wide range of fields.

Emperor Naruhito said he hopes his visit to Britain will be an opportunity to deepen the friendship between people in Japan and Britain.

Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are also scheduled to visit the University of Oxford, where they both studied.

American lawyer Keith George, who also studied at the university, says he lived next door to the Emperor in a university dormitory. George said, “He said ‘call me Hiro from now on,’ so I’ve called him ‘Hiro’ all my life. We were always great friends with him, and we’d often go out for dinner together. He did not necessarily want to be treated differently, by virtue of his title.”

The Imperial couple are scheduled to attend a welcoming ceremony on Tuesday.