The government is considering postponing the official visit to Britain by the Emperor and Empress scheduled for this spring, in response to the spread of the new coronavirus worldwide.
It was to be the Imperial couple's first official visit to a foreign country since the Emperor's accession to the throne in May last year. Preparations had been underway for a state visit to Britain in or around May.
However, people in Japan are being urged to refrain from leaving their homes unless necessary because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Britain has also been affected by a surge in coronavirus cases, with more than 1,000 people confirmed to be infected. The worsening outbreak has forced U.K. officials to postpone nationwide local elections scheduled for May by one year.
The Japanese government had planned to send a preliminary team to Britain, but has now decided that the Imperial couple will not travel because locations that had been on their itinerary could be temporarily closed to limit the spread of infections.
"We will coordinate the schedule with the British side." a government official said.
Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/
