King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck Archives

Press Release from the Imperal Household Agency of Japan :

Princess Mako, a granddaughter of Emperor Akihito, will travel to Bhutan next month, where she is expected to visit a flower exhibition and meet with King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck.

The princess’s trip was approved Tuesday in a Cabinet meeting. It will be her third official visit abroad.

The 25-year-old daughter of Prince Akishino and Princess Kiko is scheduled to leave Japan on May 31 and arrive in Bhutan on June 1 via Singapore.

The princess is expected to attend a welcome ceremony in the country’s capital Thimphu on June 2 and have an audience with the king and his wife, Queen Jetsun Pema, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

The following day, the princess will watch traditional Bhutanese archery and meet Japan Overseas Cooperation Volunteers. She will also attend ceremonies for Japan-related events that will be held during her visit to the country.

The flower exhibition was proposed by the King and Queen, and first held in 2015. The princess will return to Japan on June 8.

Source : The Mainichi

World’s Eco-Friendliest Country, Bhutan, Celebrates Birth Of New Prince By Planting 108,000 trees

How does Bhutan, the world’s most eco-friendly and carbon-negative country, celebrate the recent birth of its new prince? By planting trees of course. Lots and lots of trees.

108,000 saplings were planted in the tiny mountain Kingdom to commemorate the first Royal Child of His Majesty King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Her Majesty Queen Jetsun Pema.

The Bhutanese constitution stipulates that at least 60 percent of land remains forested at all times, but this green-fingered celebration wasn’t just inspired by the country’s commitment to ecological preservation.

“In Buddhism, a tree is the provider and nourisher of all life forms,’ said Tenzin Lekphell, who coordinated the initiative. ‘It symbolizes longevity, health, beauty and even compassion.”

This isn’t the first time that Bhutan has made headlines for its epic tree-planting sessions. In 2015, the country set a Guinness World Record by planting almost 50,000 trees in just one hour. Which is proof, if ever you needed it, that while Bhutan might be small in size, it’s definitely big when it comes to awesomeness.