The Japanese royal couple is in Hawaii this week as part of a yearlong celebration of the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants arriving in the islands.
Akishino and Kiko laid a white wreath with peace lilies on Monday at the National Cemetery of the Pacific in remembrance of soldiers who died during World War II and the Vietnam War.
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The couple was accompanied by cemetery director James Horton, and Adm. Phil Davidson, who became last week the commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command in Hawaii, the American military’s Pacific headquarters.
They also laid a second white wreath at Ehime Maru Memorial in downtown Honolulu’s Kakaako Waterfront Park, which commemorates Japanese lives lost when a U.S. submarine collided with a Japanese ship in 2001.
On Tuesday, the royal couple will plant a tree in Thomas Square, visit the Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii, and attend dinner with Gov. David Ige at his residence, Washington Place.
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Emperor Akihito announced in December that he would abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne at the end of April 2019, after reigning for 30 years. His eldest son, Crown Prince Naruhito, is expected to succeed the following day. Akishino, 52, would then take on the role of crown prince.
The royal couple visited Brazil in 2015 and Chile in 2017 to mark the anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties.