Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, in a rare overseas trip, are scheduled to begin a tour of the Indian cities of New Delhi and Chennai on Nov. 30. The Imperial couple's weeklong visit is likely to mark a defining moment in Indo-Japanese relations, fostering closer economic and security ties between Asia's two leading democracies as they seek a pluralistic, stable Asian order.
Traditionally, a visit from the Japanese Emperor — except for a coronation or royal anniversary celebration — signified a turning point in a bilateral relationship. While the Emperor is merely the "symbol of the state" under Japan's U.S.-imposed postwar Constitution, he retains significant influence, owing to Japanese veneration of the Imperial dynasty — the world's oldest continuous hereditary monarchy, the origins of which can be traced to 660 B.C. Indeed, the Emperor's overseas visits remain deeply political, setting the tone — if not the agenda — for Japan's foreign policy.
Consider the Emperor's 1992 visit to China — the first such visit by any Japanese emperor. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping's government — grateful for Japan's reluctance to maintain punitive sanctions over the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre and eager for international recognition, not to mention Japanese capital and commercial technologies — had extended seven invitations over two years.