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Emperor Naruhito meets with Jill Biden before Olympic opening
It was the first time the emperor met with the first lady, who is leading the US delegation to the ceremony in the capital. The event is to be held at the National Stadium without spectators from the general public as Tokyo is under a COVID-19 state of emergency.
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US First Lady Jill Biden (left) arrives at the Imperial Palace for a meeting with Japan's Emperor Naruhito in Tokyo on July 23, 2021, ahead of the opening ceremony for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games. (AFP/Koji Sasahara)
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mperor Naruhito received a courtesy visit from US first lady Jill Biden and other foreign dignitaries at the Imperial Palace on Friday ahead of the opening ceremony of the Tokyo Olympics later in the evening.
It was the first time the emperor met with the first lady, who is leading the U.S. delegation to the ceremony in the capital. The event is to be held at the National Stadium without spectators from the general public as Tokyo is under a COVID-19 state of emergency.
The emperor is scheduled to attend the ceremony as he serves as the honorary patron of the Olympics and Paralympics, delayed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Earlier in the day, Japanese first lady Mariko Suga hosted Biden for a cultural workshop to make Japanese-style sachets for incense at the State Guest House in downtown Tokyo, a neo-baroque building erected in 1909 and also called Akasaka Palace.
"Oh that's strong, that wakes you up, right?" Biden said as she smelt palo santo fragrant wood that was laid out along with other aromatic items.
Biden was wearing a pin that was a gift from Suga when her husband, Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga, visited the White House in April, according to Biden's spokesman.
The Japanese government initially expected a few dozen world leaders to visit Tokyo for the opening ceremony. However, the number now totals about 15, including French President Emmanuel Macron.
Read also: Macron in Tokyo for Olympic opening ceremony
Macron, whose country will host the 2024 Summer Games, is the only head of state from the Group of Seven industrialized nations to attend the evening's spectacle.
Daily coronavirus cases rose to the highest level in six months of 1,979 on Thursday.
