Japan’s Emperor Naruhito visits medical research center in London

LONDON — Japan's Emperor Naruhito visited one of Britain's most important medical research centers on Wednesday, as the second day of a state visit highlighted the scientific and cultural links between the countries.

The 64-year-old emperor and his wife Empress Masako were welcomed to London by King Charles and his wife Queen Camilla on Tuesday with a gun salute, military parade and carriage ride to Buckingham Palace before a state banquet.

In his speech at that event, Charles, 75, who was diagnosed with cancer earlier this year, spoke of how Britain and Japan, shared the spirit of collaboration and innovation, making the Francis Crick Institute biomedical research center a fitting place to visit.

Based in central London, it was founded to understand the biology underlying health and disease, and focuses on breaking down barriers between different scientific disciplines to help study cancer, vaccines, genetics and more. It also supports a number of UK-Japan partnerships.

The Institute's chief executive and director, Paul Nurse, prepared a petri dish for the emperor to inspect under a microscope and gave him some insight into the work of the institute.

The center's research into cancer is particularly pertinent for the royal family. As well as Charles's illness, his daughter-in-law, Catherine, wife of heir to the throne Prince William, is undergoing preventative chemotherapy treatment for cancer.

Naruhito had said before the visit that he was grateful to the king for hosting him and his wife despite his illness which resulted in him cutting down on public engagements between February and June.

The emperor also visited the Royal College of Music and is due to attend a banquet at London's Guildhall later on Wednesday. — Reuters