Speech by His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange at the official commemoration in Usuki Port, Japan, April 19, 2000
Your Imperial Highness, Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is an honour to be here with you today on this historic site, on this historic date. We are gathered here to commemorate the fact that exactly 400 years ago, on this very coast, a Dutch sailing vessel appeared: the first ever to be sighted in this part of the world. Today we pay tribute to the daring sailors who accomplished such a heroic feat, and to the people of Usuki who took such good care of them after their arduous journey. And we commemorate the fact that their landfall on these shores laid the foundation for a relationship between Japan and the Netherlands which turned out to be unique, both historically and in terms of the profound impact the two countries subsequently had on each other in the fields of culture and science.
It was here, exactly 400 years ago, that the relationship between our two countries began: a relationship which flourishes today with new vigour and brilliance.
This ceremony also marks the beginning of a whole week of commemorations and celebrations in Japan, as part of a year in which our attention will focus on the bilateral ties between Japan and the Netherlands. It is the sincere wish of the government and the people of the Netherlands that our bilateral ties will become stronger and deeper in the centuries to come. We hope and expect that all the events of this year will make a significant and lasting contribution towards reaching this goal.
The fact that you, Your Imperial Highness, were willing to be one of the patrons of the commemoration organisation and to join us here today is regarded by all as an excellent omen for our future relations. It is also a source of great pleasure for me. As the other patron of this commemoration I would also like to express my sincere gratitude to the authorities and people of Usuki for their tremendous efforts to make the commemoration at this historic place a successful and memorable occasion.
Thank you.