AMSTERDAM - Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended a state banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam on Wednesday, where he expressed his hope that Japan and the Netherlands "will continue to walk together for peace in the future."
In a speech delivered in English in the presence of hosts King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima, the emperor touched on the two countries' wartime past, saying, "It is truly sad that many precious lives were lost and many people were injured, including a large number of civilians during the last world war."
The invasion of the then Dutch East Indies, now Indonesia, during World War II by the imperial Japanese military caused mass casualties and led to the internment of around 40,000 Dutch soldiers and about 90,000 civilians.
The emperor also emphasized the importance of passing on "our tragic experiences and hardships to future generations so that such sorrow is never repeated."
Expressing gratitude for the Dutch invitation to visit as a state guest, the emperor also attributed more than 400 years of exchanges between Japan and the Netherlands to "the fruit of the extraordinary enthusiasm and efforts of the governments and people of both countries."
King Willem-Alexander shared similar sentiment in his speech, saying, "We are thankful for the friendship and for the interest in each other's culture that unite us."
He also acknowledged that the countries' "shared narrative has not always been a happy one," referring to the events of World War II, and stressed the importance of passing on that history as members of a generation born after the war.
"Your Majesty, you and I were born many years after the Second World War. We are familiar with the suffering of that period only through the stories of those who lived through it. That's why it is vital that these stories continue to be shared," the king said.
Among other attendees at the banquet were other Dutch royal family members including Princess Catharina-Amalia, heir apparent to the throne, and Princess Beatrix, the king's mother and former queen, and about 200 other guests.
The Japanese imperial couple arrived in the Netherlands over the weekend for the official visit and are scheduled to depart Saturday to go to Belgium.
