The Imperial FamilyActivities of Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress and other Members of the Imperial FamilyTheir Majesties the Emperor Emeritus and Empress EmeritaAddresses and Press Conferences by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress until April 30, 2019Addresses by their Majesties the Emperor and EmpressAddresses by His Majesty the Emperor (2010)
<Khmer> (PDF format: 145KB) 3 pages
I wish to extend a heartfelt welcome to Your Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Boromneath Norodom Sihamoni on the occasion of your State Visit to Japan. I am truly delighted to be able to spend this evening here with you.
The exchanges between Cambodia and Japan began in 1569 when a merchant ship from your country arrived on the shores of Kyushu and sought to establish contact with our country. Japan in those days was going through a period of transition from the age of rival warlords towards the birth of a unified government. It was also a time when trade with foreign countries was beginning to thrive. As many as 44 Japanese merchant ships sailed to your country with travel certificates issued by the government between 1604 and 1635, the year when overseas travel by the Japanese was banned. Among imports from your country was high quality sharkskin which was used for sword hilts and sheaths. Chaulmoogra, which had been used as medication to treat Hansen's disease for ages until Promin was developed, was also among the products imported from your country. There were Japanese communities in two locations in your country in those days. Writing in India ink by the Japanese who visited Angkor Wat during that period remains to this day.
These exchanges ended, however, as Japan put in place the policy of national seclusion, which was maintained for more than 200 years. Around the time Japan reverted from the seclusion policy to an open-door policy in the mid-19th century, your country came under the rule of France. So it was only after the Second World War when both Cambodia and Japan regained their respective independence at about the same time that diplomatic ties were established between our two countries.
The first time I met your father King-Father His Majesty Preah Bat Samdech Preah Norodom Sihanouk was shortly after your country had achieved independence thanks to your father's tireless efforts. On a State Visit to Japan, your father signed a treaty of friendship with our Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu. I had the pleasure of attending the luncheon hosted by Emperor Showa and Empress Kojun at the Imperial Palace on that occasion. Fifty-five years have passed since then and I am happy to learn that your father is in good health.
The path that your country has traveled since has been a most difficult one. It is heartrending to think of the staggering number of lives lost due to the civil war. The impact of this civil war continues today as I am told that quite a few people continue to suffer from landmines that were laid back then. I wish to express my appreciation for the hard work of those who are engaged in removing the landmines which cast a dark shadow of anxiety over the everyday life of the people, especially those who are engaged in farming. I wish to pray from the bottom of my heart for the safety of the demining work.
The first time I met Your Majesty was in 1988 when you visited Japan with your father and mother at a time of transition for your country from civil war to peace. You spent the days leading up to peace with your parents under harsh conditions, and I imagine that you must have gone through immeasurable hardships.
Your country overcame the tragic civil war to achieve peace. You have built political stability following national elections, and you are now devoting efforts to further develop your country. I wish to express my heartfelt respect for the Cambodian people for their untiring efforts.
The people of Japan have cooperated with your people for the rehabilitation and development of your country in various fields. I hope that Your Majesty's visit this time will give encouragement to the people who have dedicated themselves to such cooperation between our two countries. I also hope that it will serve as an opportunity to strengthen the ties of friendship between our peoples and to further raise interest among the people of Japan in Angkor Wat and other outstanding world-class cultural heritage of your country.
The season of fresh greenery has arrived here in Japan. I sincerely hope that Your Majesty's stay in Japan during this pleasant season will be a fruitful one.
I would now like to propose a toast to the good health of Your Majesty the King and to the happiness of the people of Cambodia.
It gives me great joy that I am joined by so many participants from our nation and abroad at this Commemorative Ceremony for the 1300th Anniversary of the Nara Heijo-kyo capital here at the Heijo Palace site in Nara.
Heijo-kyo was Japan's capital for 74 years, from 710 to 784. In 710, when Empress Genmei reigned over the country, she ordered the capital relocated here from Fujiwara-kyo. In 784, Emperor Kammu decided to relocate the capital again, this time to Nagaoka-kyo.
During those 74 years, which we now call the Nara Period, Japan achieved significant development in various areas. During the early Nara Period, two important historical documents, the Kojiki and the Nihon Shoki, were completed. These two books contain essential information about Japanese mythology and ancient history. The Fudoki, a record of the culture and geography of provinces across Japan, was also written during the Nara Period, and some of it still remains intact today. The Man'yoshu, or Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves, was also compiled during that period. Containing many poems from ancient times to the Nara Period, the Man'yoshu continues to attract many readers to the present day.
Regarding architecture, several buildings from the Nara Period remain today, including the Kodo Hall of the Toshodaiji Temple. Because the Kodo Hall used to be the East Choshu Hall of the Heijo Palace, I understand that architects studied its design when reconstructing the former Imperial Audience Hall this time.
In the Shosoin Repository are preserved many personal belongings cherished by Emperor Shomu, which were presented after his death to the great statue of Buddha at Todaiji Temple. These include various articles imported from Tang China and further west.
In the Man'yoshu, there is a poem composed by Ono-no-Oyu. In this poem, the poet praises the thriving Heijo-kyo capital, likening it to flowers in bloom:
With its magnificent beauty,
The imperial city of Nara is now in its glory,
Like the brilliance of flowers in full bloom.
Viewing the reconstructed Imperial Audience Hall, I am deeply impressed that it indeed evokes the image of the thriving Heijo-kyo capital.
I feel a strong affinity with the Heijo-kyo capital because this is where my ancestors once lived. According to the Shoku Nihongi, the sequel to the Nihongi, the mother of Emperor Kammu, Takanono Niigasa, was one of the settlers from Paekche and a descendant of King Muryeong of Paekche. She married Emperor Konin, who reigned in the Heijo-kyo capital, and gave birth to Emperor Kammu.
Even before the Nara Period, many people from Paekche and other countries on the Asian mainland came to Japan. These people contributed tremendously to Japan's cultural and technological development. Buddhism, for instance, was first introduced to Japan through Paekche. The Analects by Confucius, which is read by many Japanese even today, was brought to Japan by settlers from Paekche. The Japanese diplomatic envoys sent to Tang China studied advanced Tang culture firsthand and brought back to Japan many books and other artifacts. When I think of the many hardships these people encountered, including difficulties during voyages and the considerable risk of shipwrecks, I am deeply moved and filled with admiration for those who risked their lives in order to build and develop our nation.
After the capital was relocated to Nagaoka-kyo, then to Heian-kyo, the Heijo-kyo site long remained untouched. This enabled the preservation and excavation of the site over the years. As a result of recent excavations, I hear that a great many wooden strips have been unearthed, strips used for recording various events. Today, archaeological survey technologies have made great progress, as have those for preserving unearthed artifacts. It is my sincere hope that research in these areas will continue to advance so that the history of the Heijo-kyo capital will be further unveiled. In this regard, I would like to express my deep respect to the researchers and others who have worked to preserve this site, conducted archaeological surveys, and reconstructed the ancient buildings.
In closing, I would like to offer my congratulations on the occasion of the 1300th Anniversary of Nara, and to express my sincere wish for the long-lasting happiness of the people of Nara, who have preserved the time-honored culture of this ancient capital.
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