Pavel to meet Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Ishiba in Japan next week
President Petr Pavel will travel to Japan next week, where he is scheduled to meet with Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. His program also includes the official opening of the National Day of Czechia at the World EXPO 2025 in Osaka, as well as a tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, which will mark its 80th anniversary this August. The news was announced today by the Office of the President. President Pavel will depart for Japan on Monday, accompanied by a business delegation.
Pavel will begin his visit to Japan in the city of Himeji, where he will sign a memorandum of cooperation between Prague Castle and Himeji Castle. He will then travel to Hiroshima to pay tribute to the victims of the atomic bombing and visit the Atomic Dome, designed by Czech architect Jan Letzel. On the second day of his trip, the President will officially open the National Day of Czechia at the World EXPO, which is taking place in Osaka from April to October.
Czechia has built a national pavilion in Osaka based on a design by Apropos Architects. The transparent structure, featuring a glass spiral, is said by the organizers to sensitively reference the Czech pavilion presented in Japan in 1970. The pavilion was officially opened in April by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Czech Republic, Jan Lipavský (independent), and Commissioner General for EXPO, Ondřej Soška.
At the end of his visit to Japan, President Pavel will travel to Tokyo, where he will meet with Emperor Naruhito and Prime Minister Ishiba. He is also scheduled to give a lecture at the University of Tokyo and, together with the Japanese Minister of Defence, open a Czech-Japanese business forum.
According to the Office of the President, Japan offers opportunities for Czech companies, particularly in connection with increased defense spending. The two countries also cooperate in nuclear energy, the space industry, and aviation. More than 270 Japanese companies operate in Czechia, especially in the automotive and electrical engineering sectors. Japan is also a strong supporter of Ukraine and is among its top five donors, the Office of the President said.
The last Czech president to visit Japan was Václav Klaus, in 2007 and 2008. Before that, Václav Havel made a four-day visit in December 1995.
Source: Office of the President of the Republic, Czech News Agency, author’s adaptations