Japan’s crown prince, princess leave for Vietnam

Japan’s Crown Prince Fumihito and his wife Princess Kiko departed Wednesday for a visit to Vietnam to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the countries.

During their six-day official visit, the couple plan to meet with the families of former Japanese soldiers who stayed on to fight for Vietnamese independence after World War II.

After arriving in Hanoi later in the day, they will attend a welcome ceremony on Thursday hosted by Vietnamese Vice President Vo Thi Anh Xuan and an event to mark the countries’ diplomatic milestone.

They are scheduled ...