Japanese Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko on Saturday kicked off a two-day visit to Malaysia.

Akihito's first stop was in the northern state of Perak. Upon arrival in the Sultan Azlan Shah Airport Saturday morning, Akihito were greeted by Perak Crown Prince, Raja Nazrin Shah, and his sister Raja Azureen.

Perak Sultan Azlan Shah met with Akihito in the royal town of Kuala Kangsar and held a welcome luncheon for the Japanese Royal couple.

In the afternoon, Akihito toured the Sultan Azlan Shah Gallery and the Malay College Kuala Kangsar.

Later Saturday, Akihito will leave for Kuala Lumpur.

This is Akihito's third visit to Malaysia. Akihito visited this southeast Asian nation for the first time in 1970 when he was then crown prince. In 1991, the Japanese emperor made a state visit to this country.

Japan is one of Malaysia's top three trading partners and major export markets. Last year, Malaysia received a foreign investment of 3 billion ringgit (810.81 million U.S. dollars) in 66 projects from Japan, according to local media reports.

Source: Xinhua