Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako host Philippine President Marcos in third state guest reception of the Reiwa era

On 27 May 2026, Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako welcomed Philippine President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr. and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo's Eastern Court, formally opening Marcos's state visit to Japan. The welcome ceremony featured both national anthems and a guard of honour, and was also attended by Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko. Reporting noted this was the first state guest reception since Brazilian President Lula da Silva's March 2025 visit and only the third such ceremony of the Reiwa era, which began with Naruhito's enthronement in 2019 — underscoring its rarity.

During the visit, Marcos was conferred the Grand Cordon of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, Japan's highest decoration (established 1876 and reserved for foreign heads of state and royalty), while First Lady Araneta-Marcos received the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Precious Crown. Separately, the Philippine side conferred honours on the imperial couple, with Empress Masako reported to have received the Order of Gabriela Silang. The visit was tied to the 70th anniversary of the normalisation of Philippine-Japan diplomatic relations, with outlets framing it as a marker of a deepening strategic partnership between Tokyo and Manila amid regional security concerns.

Marcos also gifted the imperial family a halo-halo set and recipe.