Emperor Naruhito on Sunday met with 12 Japanese residents in Britain and 10 British people with connections to Japan at a hotel in London during his official visit to the European country.
He reunited with Arthur Stockwin, 88, emeritus professor of Japanese politics at Oxford University, where the Emperor had studied, and shared memories of attending Stockwin's seminar. Stockwin told reporters after the meeting that the Emperor's presence at the seminar had made it interesting.
Emperor Naruhito spoke with the 10 British people without an interpreter.
In the meeting with Japanese nationals, the Emperor asked Oxford University professor Takehiko Kariya, 68, about his students' reactions to his teaching and said that he has "many fond memories of Oxford."
Ryoichi Hirano, 40, a principal dancer with the Royal Ballet, told the Emperor that he is rehabilitating from an injury. The Emperor said that Hirano dances with intense movements and wished the dancer his best.
According to the Imperial Household Agency, Empress Masako did not attend events on Sunday based on medical advice, due to fatigue from her flight to Britain.