The historical visit of Japan’s Imperial Couple to Palau is fast approaching. Both the government of Japan through its local Embassy and the Palau government are speeding up preparations, cleaning up, and conducting dry runs to ensure a successful visit.
This marks the Imperial Couple’s first visit to the Republic and to the North Pacific region.
His Majesty Emperor Akihito and Her Majesty Empress Michiko are scheduled to arrive in a chartered flight on April 8, 2015. A ceremony will be held at the Palau International Airport in Airai to officially welcome them.
According to their itinerary released by the Imperial Household Agency in Japan and confirmed by Palau’s Office of the President, the couple will be staying on board the Japan Coast Guard vessel instead of a hotel in Koror as earlier planned. Reports from The Japan Times online states this arrangement also saves travel time.
The couple will travel to Peleliu via helicopter to pay their respects and honor thousands of Japanese soldiers who lost their lives during the battles of World War II. This includes offering flowers to a monument for the War Dead in the Western Pacific and the United States Army 81st Infantry Division Memorial. Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will also be accompanied by surviving WWII Japanese soldiers and relatives of the fallen soldiers during this leg of the visit, according to multiple Japanese online news reports.
Other than their official visit to Peleliu marking the 70th anniversary of the end of WWII, the Imperial Couple will also visit the Palau International Coral Reef Center, home to Palau’s only public aquarium and the nation’s leading agency in coral reef research.
The Imperial Couple’s short but event-packed schedule also includes meetings with the Presidents of the Federated States of Micronesia and the Republic of Marshall Islands as well as a reception and welcome dinner hosted by Palau’s leadership before their departure on April 9, 2015.
The last Pacific visit the Imperial Couple undertook where they also paid homage to fallen Japanese WWII soldiers was nearly a decade ago in Saipan, CNMI.
About two weeks ahead of this visit, a joint humanitarian initiative by the Peleliu State government and Palau government has resulted in the re-opening of caves used during WWII – further cementing the Palau-Japan friendship and partnership. The first to open is a cave known as Iwamatsu or Chiai cave. This is in response to earlier commitments made by both President Tommy Remengesau Jr. and Peleliu Governor Temmy Shmull to assist the Japanese government in bringing home the over 2,000 soldiers that have not been found.
Governor Shmull told Tia Belau Newspaper that the Iwamatsu is only the first of about 200 caves to be reopened ahead of this historical visit.
The effort is proved to be labor intensive as the first cave took nearly 5 days to open up. It also requires the presence and assistance of the Clear Ground Demining team as these caves are heavily littered with war remnants. Steve Ballinger, Clear Ground’s Operations Director says at least close to 200 remnants including grenades and projectiles were found during the clearing.
Japanese archaeologists reportedly began collecting bones at the cave on March 26, 2015.