Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress met the Philippines president

Recently the NHK News On-line reported the following:

天皇皇后両陛下 フィリピン大統領と会見

10月31日 18時59分

天皇陛下は３１日午後、皇后さまとともにフィリピンのドゥテルテ大統領との会見にのぞまれました。

３０日に来日したフィリピンのドゥテルテ大統領は、３１日午後３時４０分すぎ、天皇皇后両陛下のお住まいの御所に到着しました。

天皇陛下は皇后さまとともに玄関で出迎え「お会いできてうれしいです」などと笑顔で言葉をかけられました。

天皇陛下とドゥテルテ大統領の会見は去年１０月にも予定されていましたが、当日の朝、天皇陛下の叔父の三笠宮さまが亡くなり会見は取りやめられました。

両陛下は去年１月にフィリピンを親善訪問した際、太平洋戦争の慰霊碑に足を運んで犠牲者を追悼されていて、会見の中で天皇陛下が「先の大戦では多くのフィリピンの人たちが犠牲になりました」と述べられると、ドゥテルテ大統領は「両国は過去を乗り越えてすばらしい協力関係を築いてきました。戦後の日本のあらゆる分野の継続的な支援に心から感謝します」と応えました。

会見は和やかな雰囲気でおよそ２５分間行われ、天皇陛下は東日本大震災の際のフィリピンからの支援に対する感謝の気持ちなども伝えられたということです。

会見のあと大統領は玄関まで見送られた両陛下に何度もお辞儀をして感謝の気持ちを示し、夕方、帰国の途につきました。

My translation

His Majesty the Emperor as well as Her Majesty the Empress wished to meet with Philippines president Duterute in the afternoon on the 31st.

The Philippines president Duterute who visited Japan on the 30th at slightly past 3:40 pm on the 31st arrived at the court where Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress were living.

His Majesty the Emperor said "Nice to meet you" etc., wearing a smiling face at the front door with the Empress while performing the welcoming.

A meeting between His Majesty the Emperor and president Duterute had been scheduled for October of last year, but because Mr. Mikasanomiya the uncle of His Majesty the Emperor passed away in that morning, the interview was canceled.

When performing a goodwill visit to the Philippines in January of last year, Their Majesties went to a cenotaph of the Pacific War to mourn the victims; and His Majesty the Emperor stated that "Many Philippines people were sacrificed in the previous great war." In an interview, president Duterute responded that “Both countries had stepped aside the past and were building a wonderful cooperative relationship. The continual post-war support from Japan in all fields is appreciated sincerely."

The meeting was held for approximately 25 minutes in a harmonious atmosphere, and it's said that His Majesty the Emperor had conveyed his gratitude for the support received from the Philippines during the Eastern Japan Great Earthquake.

After the meeting Their Majesties showed courtesy to the president by seeing him off at the front door and bowed many times to show gratitude as the latter was on his way home in the evening.

      I am impressed by the positive attitude expressed by president Duterute in handling history when he said that both countries had side stepped the past and were building a wonderful cooperative relationship; and that the continual post-war support from Japan in all fields was appreciated sincerely. It seems that the president had chosen to forgive but not forget what the Japanese had done in the Philippines during WWII.