President Mahinda Rajapaksa who is on a four-day official visit to Japan had an audience with Emperor Akihito this morning.

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko received the President and First Lady Shiranthi Wickremasinghe Rajapaksa at the Imperial Palace and hosted a lunch in honor of the President.

The Emperor of Japan is the ceremonial monarch in Japan 's system of constitutional monarchy and is the head of the Japanese Imperial Family. According to Japan 's 1947 constitution, he is "the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people." He is also the highest authority of the Shinto religion.

Emperor Akihito acceded to the throne in 1989.