King Willem-Alexander and Queen Máxima hosted a formal ceremony at the Royal Palace, where the royal couples stood for the Dutch and Japanese national anthems and reviewed a ceremonial guard of honour. Children waving Dutch and Japanese flags gathered outside the palace as the imperial and royal families greeted guests and officials. The event also brought together Amsterdam Mayor Femke Halsema and Dutch Prime Minister Rob Jetten.
Following the ceremony, the Japanese imperial couple travelled to the National Monument in central Amsterdam to lay a wreath in tribute to victims of war and conflict.
