Japanese prince and duchess visit Krakow

Japanese crown prince Fumihito and his wife, Duchess Kiko, visited Krakow on Saturday in connection with the 100th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Poland and Japan.

They had a ceremonial breakfast at the Cloth Hall on Krakow’s Main Square with mayor Jacek Majchrowski, who toasted a long friendship between the two countries, and other dignitaries.

Fumihito is the younger brother of current Japanese emperor Naruhito, who took office in May of this year following the abdication of their father, and he is next in line for the “Chrysanthemum Throne.” Their grandfather, Hirohito, was the nominal ruler of Japan during World War II, when Poland was occupied by Nazi Germany. Despite the alliance between Japan and Germany at the time, however, the Japanese government oppose the Nazi invasion of Poland, actively supported the Polish government-in-exile, and relied on Polish spies for intelligence on Germany and the USSR.