NEW DELHI ¨C 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 ¡ª except for a coronation or royal anniversary celebration ¡ª 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 ¡ª 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 ¡ª if not the agenda ¡ª for Japan¡¯s foreign policy.
Consider the Emperor¡¯s 1992 visit to China ¡ª the first such visit by any Japanese emperor. Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping¡¯s government ¡ª 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 ¡ª had extended seven invitations over two years.
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