Japanese royal couple begins Istanbul trip, visits Hagia Sophia

ISTANBUL

Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko continued their visit to Türkiye on Dec. 5, attending various cultural events in Istanbul, with a notable stop at the iconic Hagia Sophia among their destinations.

The royal couple landed in the capital Ankara late on Dec. 3, beginning their first official visit to Türkiye.

Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry Mehmet Nuri Ersoy provided information about Hagia Sophia during their visit to the complex on the Istanbul leg of the trip, aimed at commemorating the centennial of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

Crown Prince Fumihito is expected to deliver a speech during a ceremony and tour a museum hosting an exhibition dedicated to the Ottoman frigate Ertuğrul, which tragically sank off the coast of Japan in 1890.

The couple will also visit an excavation site in the central city of Kırşehir's Kaman district, where Turkish and Japanese archaeologists are collaborating.

They will engage in cultural events and further diplomatic engagements before returning to Japan on Dec. 8.

Before visiting Istanbul, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan met with Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito on Dec. 4.

During the meeting, Erdoğan presented the prince with a historical document highlighting the Ottoman Empire’s relationship with Japan, showing Ottoman General Pertev Mehmed Pasha being honored by Emperor Mutsuhito.

Turkish first lady Emine Erdoğan also welcomed Crown Princess Kiko on the same day. The meeting included a tour of the Nation’s Library in Ankara, where they visited the exhibition dedicated to Ottoman Sultan Mehmet the Conquer, commemorating the 571st anniversary of Istanbul’s conquest.

They also explored the library’s Japan section, which houses 600 Japanese-language books.

Following the visit, the first lady expressed hope for stronger cooperation between Türkiye and Japan.

"Our wish is for this meaningful visit to further strengthen the cooperation between our countries,” Erdoğan wrote on the social media platform X.