Corfu welcomes Japanese princess
CORFU. The visit follows an invitation from Greece, as part of the Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism 2024 and the 125th anniversary of the signing of the ΄Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Shipping΄.
In addition to election campaign visits, Corfu also had a royal visit! As part of her official visit to our country, Princess Kako came to the island of Corfu to admire up close the exhibits in the Museum of Asian Art, which is known to house one of the most important collections of Japanese art in Europe and is the only institution in Greece dedicated exclusively to the antiquities and arts of Japan.
The programme of her two-day stay includes visits to other significant landmarks of the island, adjusted to strict protocols and specified times to include her reception from local authorities, diagrams indicating where everyone will stand, and media coverage by specific Japanese and Greek media outlets (ANA and ERT) and only at selected locations.
The first stop of her visit was the Corfu Orphanage. Subsequently, Princess Kako and the Ambassador of Japan to Greece, Koichi Ito, were welcomed at the historic San Giacomo Old Town Hall by Mayor Stefanos Poulimenos and Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni. This was followed by a visit to the Church of Saint Spyridon.
Museum of Asian Art
Today, she will visit the Museum of Asian Art, which hosts a rich collection of Japanese art of great archaeological and artistic value, numbering approximately 6,200 items. The Director of the Museum, Despina Zernioti, will give a speech on 'The Contribution of the Museum of Asian Art to the Development of Cultural Tourism between Greece and Japan.' Princess Kako will also speak at the event, which will be attended by Ms. Kefalogianni, local government authorities, and the Japanese Ambassador.
The visit of the youngest daughter of Prince Akishino, heir to the Japanese Throne and brother of Emperor Naruhito, is taking place in our country following an invitation from Greece, as part of the Greece-Japan Year of Culture and Tourism 2024 and the 125th anniversary of the signing of the 'Treaty of Friendship, Commerce, and Shipping,' which marked the beginning of official relations between the two countries.
CHRISTINA GEREKOU
Photo: STamatis Katapodis
