King Willem-Alexander and Emperor Naruhito of Japan to visit Leiden University
Emperor Naruhito and King Willem-Alexander will visit Leiden University on Thursday 18 June. The Emperor and his wife, Empress Masako, will be in the Netherlands for a state visit.
The university and Japan share a long history in which the exchange of knowledge has played an important role. At the Academy Building of Leiden University, the delegation will visit a temporary exhibition of objects from various Leiden Japanese collections, the Zweetkamertje (Sweat Room), where graduates sign their names, and the Senate Chamber.
Afterwards, the Emperor and the King will be given a tour of the Hortus botanicus and the Japanese garden within the Hortus. The visit to Leiden will conclude with a meeting with students and researchers from the Japanese Studies programme.
The state visit will take place from 17 to 19 June and will confirm the close and historic relationship between Japan and the Netherlands. The two countries have 426 years of bilateral relations. While originally primarily economic, the relationship with Japan now also focuses on security, innovation, defence, economic resilience and the international legal order.
Japan is the Netherlands’ fourth-largest trading partner in Asia. Committed to maintaining and strengthening open and free trade and reliable supply chains, both countries cooperate in areas including innovation in the sectors of quantum technology, semiconductors, high-tech horticulture, the energy transition and future-proof healthcare. They also exchange knowledge on themes such as water, climate adaptation and reducing the impact of natural disasters.