Princess Kako of Japan is on an official visit to Greece to mark the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the 2024 Year of Greece-Japan Culture and Tourism.
Princess Kako of Akishino, the second daughter of the Crown Prince and Crown Princess of Japan, was received by President of the Hellenic Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou in the garden of the presidential residence on Tuesday.
President Sakellaropoulou referred to the strong ties of friendship between the two countries and the prospects for closer cooperation, especially in culture and tourism.
Princess Kako thanked her for her warm reception and conveyed a message from the Emperor of Japan, expressing his conviction for a further strengthening of friendship and cooperation between the two countries.
Earlier, Princess Kako was also received by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and his wife, Mareva Grabowski-Mitsotaki, where the very close ties and long friendship between the two countries were once again emphasized.
They also noted the importance of cultural and personal exchanges and discussed the program of events for the Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism.
The official celebration for the 125th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Greece and Japan and the 2024 Year of Greece-Japan Culture and Tourism took place in Athens on Monday.
Japan’s love for ancient Greece
Addressing the Japanese princess, Culture Minister Lina Mendoni said that the celebration of the double anniversary is a way to honor “the rich past, stable present, and, mainly, the dynamic future of the two countries.”
She also referred to “the great love Japan has for classical Greek civilization” and cited as an example the extraordinarily high number of visitors to see the exhibition on Aphrodite of Melos in 1964, when the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo.
On the other hand, she said, “Japanese culture is widely known in Greece. We admire its fineness, its love for beauty and nature, the importance it ascribes to order and harmony, its inclination toward the arts, and the honor it shows tradition and ancestral values.”
Mendoni added that “under several angles, our cultures are mutually complementary. Therefore, the synergies between us cannot but produce substantive and interesting results.”A program of several events related to Greek culture is taking place in Japan currently, and Greece is awaiting the Japanese events to take place in Athens during the Culture and Tourism Year, the minister said.
Princess Kako visits the Acropolis
Princess Kako expressed her joy to be in Greece and said she had visited the Acropolis and the Acropolis Museum after her arrival on Sunday, expressing her gratitude to be able to visit the Parthenon.
She mentioned that ancient Greek philosophy is taught at Japanese schools and through Aesop’s Myths, which was translated nearly 400 years ago into Japanese through a third language.
Ancient Greek civilization continues to inspire Japan to the present, she said, referring to the strengthening of relations between the two countries in sectors such as the arts, literature, and sports.
The princess also mentioned the Museum of Asian Art on Corfu, which she will tour as part of her official visit to Greece, and the Faneromeni Monastery on Salamis island where Japanese conservators have worked on preserving the frescoes.
She also noted the Japanese sport of judo which several ages practice at the Panhellenic Gymnastics Association facilities.