On the evening of June 17, Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended a state banquet hosted by Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.

The imperial couple are on a state visit to the Netherlands.

The banquet at the Royal Palace in Amsterdam was attended by members of the Dutch royal family, including former Queen Beatrix and Princess Catharina-Amalia, the eldest daughter of the current king and queen and first in line to the throne.

Following an address by the Dutch king, the Japanese emperor delivered remarks, reflecting on the history of conflict between the two countries during World War II.

S/ Emperor Naruhito / As we look back on the long history of friendship and exchange between our two countries, we must, at the same time, never forget that there was once a time of suffering. It is truly sad that many precious lives were lost and many people were injured, including a large number of civilians during the last world war. We must always strive to be modest in learning from our past history, listen to the pains and sorrows of the people with compassion, and must pass on our tragic experiences and hardships to future generations so that such sorrow is never repeated.

The emperor expressed hope that the "two countries will continue to work together for peace in the future."

He also mentioned the World Cup soccer match between Japan and the Netherlands, which he had watched on television with the king and queen.

Alluding to the 2-2 draw, he said he was "relieved by the peaceful result," drawing laughter from the audience.

Earlier in the day, the emperor and empress visited a war memorial in the Dutch capital.

They walked toward the National Monument in Dam Square to offer flowers for victims of World War II.

After straightening the ribbon on the wreath, the emperor and empress bowed deeply for about a minute and a half.

During the war, the former Japanese military invaded and occupied what is now Indonesia, which was a Dutch colony at the time.

About 40,000 military personnel became prisoners of war, and some 90,000 civilians were also interned, with many of them losing their lives.

As a result, strong anti-Japanese sentiment persisted in the Netherlands after the war.

At a press conference prior to his visit to the Netherlands, Emperor Naruhito referred to the difficult period in bilateral relations and said he will keep in mind that there are people in the Netherlands who continue to carry the pain of that time.