King Frederik heads to Japan as Danish royals decide on who will be in Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis

King Frederik of Denmark has announced that he will be making an official visit to Japan.

Receiving an invitation from the Japanese government, King Frederik will be visiting Japan from 23 to 25 April. He will be joined by a Danish delegation, though Queen Mary will not be travelling with him. 

The trip will be a busy one, as there are several focuses for the trip, including sustainability and investment. 

In an Instagram post, the Danish court shared that the event, billed as an accession visit, will include ”a series of visits focusing on sustainable food production, gastronomy, green energy and life science will be carried out. Particularly in the area of food culture, Denmark and Japan have a tradition of close cooperation, and the visit will strengthen exports and focus on sustainable production of food products.”

King Frederik will also be attending Expo 2025 in Osaka, a World Expo that opened on 13 April. 

The Japanese government has also announced that Emperor Naruhito will be hosting King Frederik for a dinner. 

While Crown Prince, Frederik has visited Japan several times. He first visited in 1987. He and the-then Crown Princess Mary visited Japan in 2005 (for a different World Expo), and again in October 2017. 

It’s not clear whether the trip will preclude King Frederik attending the funeral of Pope Francis which takes place in Rome on April 26 2025.