Palauan President Tommy Remengesau said Thursday his nation would welcome a possible visit by the Emperor and Empress next year in honor of the more than 10,000 Japanese soldiers who died there during World War II. The South Pacific island nation was the scene of one of the bloodiest battles of the Pacific War.
Remengesau met Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday, the second day of his four-day visit to Japan.
"I was very pleased to be able to extend this invitation to them in person, and to hear that (the) Emperor put great value in offering prayers and paying respects to the souls of the fallen soldiers," the 58-year-old president told The Japan Times in an interview in Tokyo.