Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will visit Saipan from June 27 to 28 to fulfill part of their long-held wish to pay homage to victims at sites where Japan fought the United States during World War II.
But the government is apparently trying to muffle the Imperial Couple's visit to the Western Pacific island, once occupied by the Japanese military, because of recent disputes between Japan and its neighbors over war-related issues.
"This time, the visit by the Imperial Couple is only aimed at expressing condolences to the victims who died in the Battle of Saipan. It will be different from their usual goodwill visits to foreign countries," said an official of the Japanese Consul General's office on Guam, which is near Saipan.