President reaches Tokyo to attend emperor’s enthronement ceremony

President M Abdul Hamid reached here this morning to attend the country’s new emperor’s enthronement ceremony, reports BSS. 

A regular flight (SQ 646) of Singapore Airlines carrying the President and his entourage members landed at the Haneda International Airport in Tokyo at 6:31 am (local time).

Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan Rabab Fatima, Special Assistant to Japanese Foreign Minister Kenjiro Monja and senior Bangladesh embassy officials received the President at the airport.

The aircraft left Changi International Airport of Singapore for Tokyo at 10:50 pm on October 20, after the President made over three hours stopover there.

Earlier, another aircraft (flight no SQ 449) of Singapore Airlines, carrying the President and his entourage members landed at the Changi International Airport at 7.20 pm (Singapore time) en-route to Japan.

The head of the state left Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport in Dhaka for Singapore yesterday afternoon on an eight-day official visit to Japan and Singapore.

President’s spouse Rashida Khanam, his son Rejwan Ahammad Taufiq, MP, Mohammad Afzal Hossain, MP, and concerned officials to Bangabhaban and foreign ministry are accompanying him during the tour.

During his stay in Japan, on the first day, the President would visit Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line (the Trans-Tokyo Bay Highway) this afternoon.

He will also attend a dinner to be hosted by the Bangladesh Ambassador to Japan in Bangladesh House at the Bangladesh embassy.

President Hamid will join the Ceremony of Enthronement of new Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the State Hall of Imperial Place at 1:30 pm (local time) tomorrow.

Japanese Emperor is set to proclaim his enthronement in a centuries-old ceremony to be attended by some 2,000 people, including heads of the states and other dignitaries from more than 170 countries, according to media reports.

Emperor Naruhito, 59, acceded to the throne in May after his father, Akihito, became the first monarch to abdicate in two centuries. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan’s traditional order of succession.

On October 23, President Hamid will visit Japan’s second largest city Yokohama.

Kosovo President Hashim ThaOi will call on his Bangladesh counterpart at Hotel New Otani in Tokyo the same day.

Abdul Hamid will also attend the banquet to be hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at Hotel New Otani.

On his way back home, the President will make a two-day stopover in Singapore.

On the second leg of his two-nation tour, the Head of the State will visit Singapore from Oct 25-27.

The President is scheduled to return home at 11:40 pm on October 27.