TOKYO: Japanese Emperor Naruhito is likely to pay a state visit to Indonesia in the latter half of June, people familiar with the matter said Thursday.

The visit will be the second overseas journey for the Emperor since his accession to the throne in May 2019, after his trip to Britain with Empress Masako in September last year for the funeral of British Queen Elizabeth II.

Whether the Empress will accompany the Emperor to Indonesia will depend on her health condition, the people said.

In a meeting at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in July last year, Indonesian President Joko Widodo and his wife, Iriana, asked the Emperor and the Empress to visit their country.

Indonesia holds the 2023 presidency of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. The Emperor’s visit to the country is being arranged to mark the 50th anniversary this year of friendly cooperative relations between Japan and ASEAN, the people said.

The Emperor is expected to stay in the Indonesian capital of Jakarta for about a week, where he is expected to attend a welcome ceremony, as well as a banquet hosted by the president.

In 1991, then Japanese Emperor Akihito, now Emperor Emeritus, visited Indonesia as part of his first trip abroad since his enthronement, together with then Empress Michiko, now Empress Emerita. The tour also brought the couple to Thailand and Malaysia.

JIJI Press