LONDON, June 19 (NNN-AGENCIES) — The Japanese state visit to the UK next week will not include the traditional trip to No 10 Downing Street to meet the prime minister.
The state visit, by Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, is being adapted because it coincides with the general-election campaign. The 2024 United Kingdom general election is scheduled for Thursday, July 4.
The Emperor and Empress of Japan will arrive privately in the United Kingdom on the afternoon of Saturday June 22 at Stansted Airport. The Prince of Wales will greet the Emperor and Empress of Japan, at their hotel, on behalf of The King on Tuesday June 25 morning. The state visit ends on Friday June 28.
But the prime minister and the leader of the opposition are currently expected to attend the formal banquet at Buckingham Palace.
At state banquets the prime minister sits at the top table, with the King and overseas guests, while the leader of the opposition Keir Starmer is a little further down the seating plan.
So amid all the fine dining and elaborate dinner service, Sunak and Starmer, in the middle of their political battle, will be sitting a few places away from each other.
There had been speculation the entire visit would be postponed, as previous state visits that clashed with elections have been.
But the royal couple will arrive in the UK at the weekend, with some private visits before official events begin, on Tuesday, with a ceremonial welcome at Horse Guards Parade.
There will be a carriage ride along the Mall to Buckingham Palace, a visit to Westminster Abbey and then the state banquet in the evening, where, in the past, the King has greeted his guests in their own language.
The visit will emphasise the economic, military, cultural and scientific links between the UK and Japan, with visits to the Francis Crick Institute and Kew Gardens.
But there will be no meeting at 10 Downing Street, unlike on the previous Japanese state visit, in 1998.
Another state visit had been planned for 2020 but cancelled because of the pandemic.
Such state visits are a mix of pageantry and diplomacy, putting out the red carpet for important visitors and building links.
UK exports to Japan are worth £5bn per year, according to the Japanese embassy. And there are defence partnerships.
The visit will also show the “soft power” of higher-education connections, with a day in Oxford, where both the emperor and empress went to university. — NNN-AGENCIES
