Japan Emperor Akihito begins South Asian tour to establish closer ties

Japan Emperor Akihito begins South Asian tour to establish closer ties

The emperor and empress are visiting Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand on a trip aimed at improving ties with those countries.

Their visit to Singapore marks the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries. Though Singapore and Tokyo now have strong economic and diplomatic ties, the country was among Asian lands overrun by Japan in the first half of the 20th century. Japanese troops killed as many as 100,000 ethnic Chinese in Singapore, the AP reports.