President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan on Wednesday welcomed Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito in the capital, Ankara.
Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko arrived in Türkiye on Tuesday for a five-day visit on the occasion of the centenary of diplomatic relations between the two countries. They were also scheduled to attend a banquet hosted by Erdoğan later on Wednesday.
The meeting was also attended by Presidential Communications Director Fahrettin Altun, Chief Adviser to the President Akif Çağatay Kılıç, and Presidential Chief of Staff Hasan Doğan.
Erdoğan also presented Fumihito a document showing that Ottoman General Pertev Pasha was awarded by Emperor Mutsuhito.
On Thursday, they will travel to Istanbul, where the prince is expected to address an event on the centenary of relations.
Earlier on Wednesday, the royal couple met Japanese citizens living in Türkiye and staff of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) at a hotel in Ankara.
They are expected to attend several social and cultural activities during their visit. The couple is also scheduled to visit Kalehöyük, an archaeological excavation site in central Türkiye sponsored by the Middle Eastern Culture Center in Japan established by Prince Mikasa, the great-uncle of the visiting crown prince.
First lady Emine Erdoğan on Wednesday hosted Japan's Crown Princess Kiko.
Erdoğan and Kiko visited the Nation's Library in the capital Ankara.
Their first stop was the Fatih Sultan Mehmet exhibition, launched to commemorate the 571st anniversary of the conquest of Istanbul.
Following the exhibition tour, Erdoğan and the princess moved to the Cihannuma Hall, where they posed for a souvenir photo.
Later, they visited the Japan section in the library, which houses 600 books in Japanese.
"Our wish is for this meaningful visit to further strengthen the cooperation between our countries," Erdoğan said on X after their meeting.
Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko arrived in Ankara on Tuesday evening, marking the royal couple's first visit to Türkiye and the 100th anniversary of the two nations' diplomatic relations. They are scheduled to return to Japan on Sunday.
This visit by the Japanese royal couple underscores the two nations' long-lasting bond and mutual respect, promising to enhance bilateral understanding and cooperation.
Friendly interactions between the two countries date back to the Meiji Era, which lasted from 1868 to 1912.
Prince and Princess Komatsu of Japan visited the Ottoman Empire, a gesture reciprocated by the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul in 1890.
However, the frigate tragically sank off Wakayama Prefecture after encountering a typhoon, resulting in over 500 deaths.
Survivors were cared for in Japan, and memorial ceremonies are still held in both countries to commemorate this historic link.
Despite interruptions during World War II, postwar visits by Japanese royals, including Prince Mikasa, strengthened ties.
The two countries have supported each other during crises, such as Japan's aid after the 1999 Türkiye earthquake and Türkiye’s assistance following Japan’s 2011 tsunami.
This visit by the Japanese royal couple underscores the two nations’ long-lasting bond and mutual respect, promising to enhance bilateral understanding and cooperation.
