At the end of June, the Japanese imperial couple paid a seven-day visit to the United Kingdom. Some aspects of this event and a number of accompanying political events in Japan, which is becoming one of the most important participants in the current stage of the “Great World Game”, are undoubtedly of interest.

The visit of the Japanese imperial couple to the United Kingdom

From 23 to 29 June, Emperor Naruhito of Japan and his wife Masako visited the United Kingdom at the invitation of King Charles III.

Naruhito ascended the Japanese throne on 1 May 2019, replacing his father Akihito, who had abdicated due to an official health scare. According to ancient Japanese tradition, the reign of each new emperor is marked by specific symbolism. When Naruhito ascended the throne, his reign was marked with two hieroglyphs (令和), which in Russian translates as “Reiwa”. This is the name under which he will enter the next world. His great-grandfather, under whom Japan began to take on a modern appearance, entered the country’s history under the symbol “Meiji”.

However, unlike the period from 1868 to 1912 (when Emperor Meiji died) and from then until 1945, under the post-war constitution the monarch of Japan is now only formally the head of state, exercising representative functions. The actual administration of all aspects of the state is in the hands of the government, which is formed by a coalition of parties that holds a majority of seats in the bicameral parliament following the results of the most recent (often snap) general election.

In reality, however, the reigning Emperor of Japan has unquestionable moral authority at home, and his (extremely rare) trips abroad invariably become important foreign policy events for the country he is visiting. Although, to repeat, the current Emperor does not seem to be involved in any political specifics, and the foreign trip in question was made under the symbolism of “expressing goodwill” to the visiting country.

As for Britain, it is becoming an increasingly appropriate object for Japan to express such warm feelings. In fact, with the exception of the “misunderstanding” of 1941-1945, the history of bilateral........

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