Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako of Japan enjoy the third day of their visit to Indonesia

The Japanese emperor and his wife are undergoing their first official overseas trip since his accession to the throne.

Emperor Naruhito, 63, and Empress Masako, 59, are currently guests of Indonesian President Joko Widodo and First Lady Iriana at the Presidential Palace in Bogor, West Java.

The imperial couple are on the third day of a seven-day visit to strengthen ties between the two countries and have had several engagements across Indonesia since their arrival on June 17.

Today they planted a tree in the botanical garden of the presidential palace.

The Imperial couple and their hosts also visited the Mass Rapid Transit yard in Jakarta, where Naruhito and Masako learned more about Indonesia’s transportation system.

The two couples planted a tree in the garden on the occasion of the Japanese Imperial Couple’s visit to Indonesia

The emperor and his wife looked cheerful as they began the third day of their visit.

They were welcomed at the presidential palace in Bogor by a guard of honor.

There, their first stop was the palace’s lush botanical garden, where the Japanese Imperial couple admired the various types of plants.

The Japanese Empress looked very stylish for her day out, wearing a light blue midi skirt with a matching blazer and hat trimmed in white, plus white accessories and a pearl necklace.

The elegant number matched her husband’s blue tie with an eye for detail.

Meanwhile, Indonesia’s first lady looked elegant in a delicate pink embroidered scarf over an iridescent skirt and cardigan.

Despite their finery, both ladies joined hands to plant a new tree in the garden while their two husbands happily watched.

“I am very honored that Indonesia is the first destination for the Japanese Emperor’s bilateral state visit abroad,” said Widodo.

Naruhito and President Widodo poured some water over the young stems during the planting ceremony

The Japanese emperor looked elegant in a light blue ensemble that she paired with a lacy white top and pearls

Naruhito tries to underline the friendship between Japan and Indonesia during his week-long visit, and officials said the two leaders would talk about cooperation between the countries.

The emperor arrived in the capital on Saturday and visited several places in the city, including a station of the Jakarta MRT, Indonesia’s first metro line and financed by a loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Naruhito planned to visit the Indonesian heroes’ cemetery in Jakarta on Tuesday.

For Wednesday, he has planned a trip to Yogyakarta, a city on the island of Java, the center of Javanese culture and the seat of ancient royal dynasties. On Thursday he will visit Borobudur Temple, the largest Buddhist temple in the world.

The Japanese emperor was welcomed by a guard of honor when he arrived at the presidential palace

The Indonesian president took over the wheel and drove his wife and guests around the grounds of the palace

Both couples seemed cheerful when they met at the palace and stood on the balcony on day three of the Japanese visit

Before leaving Japan, Naruhito said cooperation with developing countries is essential to address global challenges such as climate change, energy and food.

His journey comes as Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations celebrate 50 years of friendship this year, when Indonesia presides over ASEAN.

Japan is increasingly seeking to engage with developing countries in addressing regional and global challenges. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan is the largest supplier of official development assistance to Indonesia.

Naruhito, 63, is Japan’s first emperor, born after World War II, who was fought on behalf of his grandfather, Emperor Hirohito.

On Sunday, the emperor visited the Jakarta Mass Rapid Transit yard, which was partially funded by Japan

The Japanese empress looked elegant in blue, while the Indonesian first lady opted for a stylish shade of salmon pink

Japanese troops occupied Indonesia, when the Dutch East Indies colony, from 1942 to Tokyo surrendered in August 1945.

The trip to Indonesia is believed to be the emperor’s first official foreign tour since his accession to the throne in 2019.

Last September, he was one of several foreign heads of state to attend the funeral of the late Queen Elizabeth in London.

However, due to protocol, the Emperor does not attend coronations of other heads of state, and sent Crown Prince Akishino to attend King Charles’s accession to the throne in May on his behalf.