Japan's imperial couple "felt a sense of unease" about their links to the British royal family ahead of their state visit in 1998, newly released documents at the National Archives in London showed Saturday.
The files opened for public viewing show that despite their past visits, then-Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko felt they lacked the more intimate connections enjoyed by other members of the imperial family with Britain and its royal family.
Akihito acceded to the throne in January 1989 and abdicated in April 2019.