本日皇太子ご夫妻のトンガ訪問が閣議決定された。
「皇太子ご夫妻、７月にトンガご訪問 国王の戴冠式にご参列 雅子さまは２年ぶりの外国ご訪問」
産経ニュース http://www.sankei.com/life/news/150612/lif1506120014-n1.html
早速某週刊誌から取材を受けた。 日本とトンガの関係を最初に築いたのは笹川良一ではない。 トンガ王国名誉総領事と、高見山の後援会会長もしていたが。。
実はここら辺の詳細は誰も教えてくれない。
ツポウ５世とオックスフォード大学で同級生であった三笠宮寛仁親王との交友が日本の皇室とトンガ王室を結んだことはツポウ５世から直接伺っている。
70年代か80年代始め、と思われる写真が手元にあったので掲載しておく。 ツポウ４世がお若い。
（追記） 豪州のThe Ageという新聞（The Age - Aug 29, 1973）に1973年８月以前に笹川良一会長がトンガを訪ねたという記事があった。 飛行機を提供する事を協議したようだ。
三笠宮寛仁親王は1968年から1970年にオックスフォード大学に留学。三笠宮寛仁親王が先にトンガとの関係を築いたのだ。その後日本の関係を笹川良一が。しかしそれは私が財団で知る限りは黒い関係だった。
Today, the Cabinet approved the visit of the Crown Prince and Princess to Tonga.
The Crown Prince and Princess will visit Tonga in July to attend the coronation of the King, and Princess Masako will make her first foreign visit in two years.
Sankei News http://www.sankei.com/life/news/150612/lif1506120014-n1.html
I was immediately interviewed by a certain weekly magazine. It was not Ryoichi Sasakawa who first established the relationship between Japan and Tonga. Although he was the honorary consul general of the Kingdom of Tonga and also the chairman of Takamiyama's supporters' association.
In fact, no one can tell me the details around here.
I know directly from Tupou V that his friendship with Prince Tomohito Mikasa, who was a classmate of Tupou V at Oxford University, brought the Japanese imperial family and the Tongan royal family together.
I have a photo of him in my hand, probably from the 70s or early 80s, and I am posting it here. King Tupou IV is very young.
( Added note) The Age newspaper (The Age - Aug 29, 1973) in Australia reported that President Ryoichi Sasakawa visited Tonga in or before August 1973. It seems that they discussed the possibility of providing him with an airplane.
Prince Tomohito Mikasa studied at Oxford University from 1968 to 1970. Prince Tomohito Mikasa established relations with Tonga first. Then Ryoichi Sasakawa for Japanese relations. But that was a criminal minded relationship as far as I know at the Foundation.
