On the evening of June 23, Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako attended a state banquet hosted by the King and Queen of Belgium at the Castle of Laeken.

In his remarks, the Emperor looked back on the long history of exchanges between Japan's imperial family and the Belgian royal family since his grandfather Emperor Hirohito's first visit to Belgium in 1921.

He noted that his grandfather, known posthumously as Emperor Showa, his father Emperor Emeritus Akihito and he himself are roughly the same ages, respectively, as the three successive Belgian kings.

S/ Emperor Naruhito / Furthermore, I feel a sense of closeness in our four generations of ties, as your eldest daughter, Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth, and our eldest daughter, Aiko, were both born in 2001. I am delighted that we can add a new page to the long history of exchanges through this state visit by the Empress and myself. Proost! Sante!

The Emperor offered the toast in Dutch and French, two official languages of Belgium.

King Philippe recalled jogging with the Emperor in the past and humorously praised his fitness, saying it was not easy to keep up with his pace.

The banquet was also attended by the royal couple's four children, including Elisabeth, who is first in line to the throne.