TOKYO - Japan's Crown Prince Fumihito and his wife Crown Princess Kiko left for Norway on Tuesday to attend the funeral of King Harald V, highlighting the deep ties between the Japanese imperial family and Norwegian royal family.
The couple departed from Tokyo's Haneda airport and will attend the funeral Wednesday at Oslo Cathedral, before returning to Japan the next day.
King Harald died Aug. 28 at age 89 and Emperor Naruhito sent the couple after receiving an invitation to the funeral from the Norwegian royal family. Japanese emperors do not traditionally attend funerals.
The emperor attended the funeral of King Harald's father, King Olav V, in 1991 as crown prince.
Meanwhile, King Harald, then crown prince, attended the funeral of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, in 1989 and the enthronement ceremony of former Emperor Akihito in 1990. After becoming king, he made a state visit to Japan in 2001.
While studying in Britain, Crown Prince Fumihito took a trip to Norway in 1989 and had lunch with King Harald, who was then Norwegian crown prince.
King Harald's eldest son, the newly enthroned King Haakon VIII, visited Japan in June and had dinner with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako at their residence in the Imperial Palace. He also met Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko at their residence on the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo.
