Tokyo: Relations between the Philippines and Japan have reached new heights following a 'rare' engagement between President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. and the Japanese Imperial Family during his four-day state visit to Tokyo.

According to Philippines News Agency, Presidential Communications Office acting Secretary Dave Gomez said on Thursday the warm reception extended by the Imperial Family underscored the high level of respect accorded to the Philippine leader and highlighted the deepening ties between the two nations.

Gomez noted that Marcos' state visit featured uncommon diplomatic moments, including a state banquet hosted for the President and First Lady Liza Araneta-Marcos at the Imperial Palace on Wednesday, one of only a few held after the Covid-19 pandemic.

'Talagang napaka-overwhelming nung reception nila kagabi sa ating Pangulo at ating Unang Ginang (The reception they gave last night for the President and the First Lady was truly overwhelming). They were received by The Imperial Highnesses, the Emperor and the Empress,' he said in a video message uploaded on RTVM's Facebook page.

'Pagkabalita namin kagabi, ito lang 'yung pangalawang state banquet, state visit na pinaunlakan ng Emperor matapos 'yung pandemic. So, pangalawa pa lang tayong state visitor. Pangalawang bisita pa lang ang Pangulo at Unang Ginang na binuksan nila ang Palasyo (From what we heard last night, this was only the second state banquet and state visit hosted by the Emperor after the pandemic. So, the President and the First Lady are only the second state guests to be welcomed into the Imperial Palace)."

Another 'rare' moment, Gomez said, was the attendance of 'almost the entire Royal Family' at the state banquet.

He added that the presence of the Imperial Family reflected the importance Japan places on its more than seven decades of diplomatic relations with the Philippines.

Beyond formal engagements, Gomez cited the personal exchanges between Marcos and Emperor Naruhito, including shared recollections of past experiences and mutual academic ties, which added a human dimension to the diplomatic visit.

'Alam naman natin na ang Pangulo at ang Emperor ay parehong nag-aral sa Oxford University sa UK. So, nag-reminisce sila ng kanilang mga nakaraan, 'yung daily lives nila sa sa university and a lot of mutual friends (We also know that both the President and the Emperor studied at Oxford University in the UK. They reminisced about their past, their daily lives at the university, and many mutual friends),' Gomez said.

He shared that Marcos had gifted the Emperor a large glass and a big spoon after learning from 'one of their mutual friends' that the Japanese leader is fond of halo-halo, a Filipino dessert made with shaved ice and a variety of sweetened ingredients.

The Emperor had even asked his personal chef to make a halo-halo for the Imperial Family, Gomez said.

'Kagabi pagkatapos nung state banquet, bago kami umalis kasama ng mga ibang opisyal ng Gabinete ng Pangulo, pinakita pa ng Emperor, meron siyang dinukot na mga litrato, mga picture niya ng halo-halo. So, talagang nagustuhan niya 'yung ating halo-halo (After the state banquet last night, before we left, together with Cabinet officials, the Emperor even showed us photos of the halo-halo. So, he really enjoyed the halo-halo),' he said.

Gomez said the Emperor had also recalled that the Philippines holds a special place in his memory, being the first foreign country he had set foot in during a stopover en route to Australia in 1974.

Marcos is in Japan for a state visit aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in priority areas such as defense, maritime security, trade, and investment.

The visit coincides with the 70th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and Japan.

Beyond ceremonial engagements, Marcos' visit yielded economic gains, including about USD3.4 billion in investment commitments expected to create more than 10,000 jobs in sectors such as electronics, semiconductors, and shipbuilding.