Japanese princess takes foundation chair in Istanbul

Japanese Princess Akiko of Mikasa became the honorary president of Prince Mikasa Foundation in Istanbul on Thursday.

The reception was organized at the Sakip Sabanci Museum by the foundation, which has been conducting scientific studies on Anatolian archeology, cultures and history.

Culture and Tourism Ministry's undersecretary Omer Arisoy, Japanese Princess Akiko, Japanese Ambassador in Ankara Akio Miyajima and businesspeople were among the participants in the event.

"Prince Mikasa Foundation, which is devoted to three generations of the Mikasa Family, my grandfather, father and me, was established in 2017 with the permission of the Turkish Government to provide continuous support for the study of Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archeology," Akiko said.

"It is honorable to accept the presidency in foundation as a member of the Mikasa Family," she added.

In 1998, Japanese Institute of Anatolian Archaeology was established as an affiliated institution in the central province of Kirsehir. The institute's work is based on a foundation of academic archaeological research and local and international cooperation.

The princess will be in Turkey until Sept. 14.