One of the world’s oldest monarch, Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko ended their five-day state visit to the Philippines as they departed for Tokyo noontime on Saturday. The Philippine President Benigno S. Aquino III personally sent them off with departure honors at the airport tarmac.
Aside from Pinky Aquino who served as the country’s First Lady, members of the Cabinet also accompanied Pres. Aquino such as Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson and Transportation Secretary Jun Abaya. Also present were Philippine Ambassador to Japan Manuel Lopez and Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Kazuhide Ishikawa.
During the visit of Emperor Akihito he thanked the Philippine government for the warm welcome and hospitality, he even recalled his first visit to the country last 1962 during the presidency of the late President Diosdado Macapagal.
According to the Japanese embassy in Manila, remembrance has become a theme of the Emperor’s visit as he recalled the importance of remembering the lives lost and sacrifices made during World War II. Emperor Akihito has said that it is something that the Japanese must never forget especially the young.
The Japanese emperor visited the Libingan ng mga Bayani to honor Filipino war veterans and just yesterday, the Japanese war dead at the Japanese Memorial Garden.
