Crown Prince Naruhito will serve as Japan's honorary president for events marking the 400th anniversary of the nation's exchanges with Spain, which will be commemorated between June 2013 and July 2014.

Japan-Spain exchanges date back to 1613, when a delegation was dispatched by Lord Date Masamune in Sendai to Spain and Rome with the consent of the first Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu. The delegation arrived in Spain the following year.