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Four-day visit showcases UK-Japan partnership in areas including innovation, sustainability, youth opportunity and women’s leadership.
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Private audiences with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino reinforce ties between the Royal and Imperial Families.
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The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh championed sustainability, innovation, youth opportunities, and gender equality at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai.
Their Royal Highnesses The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh concluded a four-day official visit to Japan, demonstrating the exceptional depth and breadth of the UK-Japan relationship through engagements spanning innovation, conservation, cultural heritage, and youth empowerment.
The visit began with the launch of three new MUSUBI Initiative programmes at the British Embassy Tokyo, including new establishing mentorship schemes for emerging female leaders and career support networks for women in finance. These programmes, like others under the MUSUBI Initiative, will be delivered with an ambition to create a long-lasting legacy and network of UK-Japan people-to-people ties. Private audiences with Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and Their Imperial Highnesses Crown Prince and Crown Princess Akishino reinforced the close bonds between the Royal and Imperial families.
A particularly poignant moment came with the tree planting ceremony at the State Guest House, where Their Royal Highnesses planted a new English oak grown from the original tree planted by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in 1975 – symbolising the ever-growing friendship between the two nations across generations.
The Duke championed youth leadership, meeting children participating in an outdoor wildlife event at Kasai Marine Park and visited the British School in Tokyo where he saw the work of charity Mirai no Mori to support children in care homes through outdoor activities. His Royal Highness also met UK athletes competing in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
The Duchess met Ukrainian refugees at Shibuya Himawari Center, explored ground-breaking accessibility technology at the National Museum of Emerging Science & Innovation, and participated in discussions on Japan’s role in addressing global challenges relating to Women, Peace & Security.
At the sacred UNESCO World Heritage site of Koyasan, Their Royal Highnesses experienced Japan’s profound spiritual heritage while being guided by local children learning English through an innovative British Council programme.
The Duke also supported UK-Japan business partnerships with a visit to Sumitomo Electric Industries’ (SEI) factory in Osaka, where he met engineers undergoing training to work at SEI’s new factory at the Port of Nigg in Scotland.
The visit concluded at World Expo 2025 in Osaka, where The Duke and Duchess visited the UK Pavilion which showcases UK innovation, and met science students at the “Come Power the Future” exhibition, which highlights bilateral partnerships in fusion energy and offshore wind. Their Royal Highnesses also visited the Japan Pavilion’s “Between Lives” exhibition and joined a tea with young children participating in UK-led creative exchanges. The Duchess participated in a UN Women panel discussion on gender equality at the Women’s pavilion. The visit concluded with a reception at the UK Pavilion to celebrate women working in the fields of energy, sustainability, science and technology.
Ambassador Julia Longbottom said:
This visit reaffirmed the strength of the friendship between the UK and Japan, from our shared commitment to empowering the next generation to our collaboration on global challenges, like conservation and boosting the role of women in all aspects of the economy. The connections forged will continue to flourish for years to come.
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh Launch New UK-Japan Programmes – GOV.UK
The Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh visit Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai – GOV.UK
