Visit to Vietnam a First for Crown Prince Naruhito

Japan’s Naruhito made his first trip to the communist nation of Vietnam Tuesday. The Crown Prince is there for a week to celebrate 35 years of diplomatic ties with the southeast Asian country.

“I am glad if I can contribute to much closer relations of friendship between the two countries, and would like to deepen my understanding of the Vietnamese people and the country,” Naruhito told a news conference last week.

Japan is Vietnam’s biggest aid donor. However, that was suspended after a Japanese court last month convicted a Tokyo-based consultancy and three of its executives in a bribery case involving Vietnam road projects.

Naruhito met with Vice President Nguyen Thi Doan in Hanoi on Tuesday morning. He was due to meet Vietnamese President Nguyen Minh Triet later Tuesday.

The Japanese heir is scheduled to leave for central Vietnam Wednesday to visit destinations including Hoi An, a UNESCO world heritage site with Japanese architectural influences.

On Thursday he will head to Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam’s southern business capital.

The Crown Prince is travelling alone again. His wife, Crown Princess Masako remains to Japan. She has been suffering from a stress induced illness that has prevented her from performing official duties for five years.