Overview

• On Sept. 19, Prince Edward and Sophie held an audience with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at the Imperial Palace, which Buckingham Palace said reaffirmed U.K.–Japan ties.
• Photos captured the Duchess performing a notably deep curtsy during the meeting, a voluntary gesture of respect in royal protocol.
• The couple attended a Grand Sumo Tournament at Ryogoku Kokugikan, meeting wrestler Asanoyama Hiroki and Sumo Association chair Hakkaku Nobuyoshi before watching matches from a box.
• They planted an oak sapling at the Akasaka State Guest House grown from the tree Queen Elizabeth II planted there in 1975, signaling continuity between the royal and imperial households.
• On Sept. 20, Sophie visited Tokyo’s Ukraine Mental Health Exchange Center and the Nezu Museum, as the pair continue a five-day visit running through Sept. 22 with travel scheduled to Osaka and Koyasan.