Sources said that Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako are scheduled to visit Hiroshima in June, marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War Two.

Plans to have the Imperial couple visit various places to pay their respects to the war dead are underway, according to sources.

It will be the Emperor Naruhito’s first visit to Hiroshima since his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

The Imperial Household Agency is expected to work out the details of the tour, including meetings with a-bomb survivors.

Emperor Naruhito said during a news conference in 2020 that he would continue thinking of Hiroshima and Nagasaki as he wishes for world peace.