Icelandic President Halla Tomasdottir, left, and Emperor Naruhito are seen at the Imperial Palace on May 27, 2025. (Pool photo)
Icelandic President Halla Tomasdottir, left, talks with Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace on May 27, 2025. (Pool photo)
TOKYO — Emperor Naruhito met with Icelandic President Halla Tomasdottir at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on May 27, during her visit to Japan for Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai, and discussed gender equality among other topics.
Iceland is renowned for having the smallest gender gap in the world. According to the Imperial Household Agency, the Emperor inquired, “Why has gender equality been realized?” President Tomasdottir explained that it is the result of many years of efforts, including a massive women’s strike 50 years ago, which the Emperor listened to with great interest.
The discussion also touched on both Japan and Iceland being island countries with many volcanoes. Emperor Naruhito spoke about the challenges posed by shifting fishing grounds due to global warming and other factors, while expressing the importance of the fishing industry, to which the president agreed. Their conversation reportedly delved into efforts to restore marine environments.
(Japanese original by Nao Yamada, Tokyo City News Department)