Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko are planning to make their first visit to Vietnam in early March, according to a source close to the Imperial Household Agency.

The Imperial Couple have received many invitations from Vietnamese leaders when they have visited Japan, the source said.

It would be their first overseas trip since last January, when they traveled to the Philippines as part of their effort to commemorate the people killed during World War II. They paid respects to all of the fallen, including Filipinos, as part of their mission to promote international friendship.