Japan’s Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako met with Italian President Sergio Mattarella and his daughter Laura Mattarella at the Imperial Palace on March 4.

Emperor Naruhito said that he was pleased to see the strengthening bilateral relationship between the two countries. 

They also discussed cultural topics including the Italian movie “Wildcat.”

When Italian President Mattarella said that his country and Japan have natural disasters in common, Emperor Naruhito responded that there was the flooding of the Po River in italy in 2023.

During the luncheon, when Laura complimented the tri-color flower arrangement on the table representing the Italian flag, Emperor Naruhito said that it was Empress Masako’s idea.