Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Wednesday welcomed Spain's King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who are visiting Japan as state guests, at the Imperial Palace, with Crown Prince Naruhito and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe also attending a related event there.
The Spanish royal couple are on a four-day visit to Japan from Tuesday aimed at further strengthening the ties between the two countries as Tokyo and Madrid mark the 150th anniversary of bilateral relations next year.
The emperor thanked the king for sending a condolence message on March 28 over an avalanche that killed seven students of a high school mountaineering group and a teacher the previous day in Tochigi Prefecture, according to the Imperial Household Agency.