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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held a meeting with His Majesty King Felipe VI of the Kingdom of Spain and Her Majesty Queen Letizia of the Kingdom of Spain at Akasaka Palace State Guest House, and then attended an exchange of signed documents.

Lastly, the Prime Minister hosted a dinner banquet and said the following in his address,

"I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome to Their Majesties King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia, who are visiting Japan as state guests.

Tokyo became the first location in Japan to see the cherry blossoms in full bloom this year, as if to warmly greet the visit of Their Majesties. I am very pleased to welcome Their Majesties during such perfect timing as the full bloom of the cherry blossoms.

In Japan, from childhood we learn in textbooks that more than 460 years ago, Saint Francis Xavier brought Christianity to Japan and the Keicho Mission led by Tsunenaga Hasekura visited Spain.

In my home prefecture of Yamaguchi, St. Xavier Memorial Park is located at the site of the first church in Japan, where St. Xavier himself once resided, and there is also a commemorative monument in the park.

They say that Japan is the second most popular country for flamenco after Spain. Passionate flamenco dancing captivates the people of Japan. There are more than 650 flamenco dance schools in Japan, where more than 80,000 people are passionately learning about the allure of flamenco.

Recently, dishes cooked "al ajillo" have been experiencing a major boom in Japan. The other day, I had the opportunity to stop over in Madrid on my way home from South America and feasted upon delicious al ajillo dishes and the world's best paella.

We had a discussion about where to stop to refuel the plane on the trip back to Japan from Argentina. Because everyone wanted to eat delicious food we decided to stopover in Spain, where we ate al ajillo dishes.

When we speak of Spain, it is a must to mention fine art. People of the world are moved at the sight of artwork and buildings produced by the many world-renowned Spanish artists such as Francisco de Goya, Diego Velázquez, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, and Antoni Gaudí. An exhibition on Diego Velázquez is scheduled to take place next year in Japan to commemorate the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our two countries. I very much look forward to being able to see the masterpieces of Velázquez here in Japan.

In this manner, Spain is very familiar to and well-liked by the people of Japan. To this evening's banquet we have invited many leaders who are active in a wide range of fields for fostering friendship with Spain, including politics, the economy, culture, academia, and sports.

It is thanks to all of you that the present relationship between Japan and Spain exists. I would like to take this opportunity to express my gratitude for your many years of contributions and also to request your continued contributions for the further development of Japan-Spain relations.

Earlier, Queen Letizia commented about how today she could finally enjoy Japanese cuisine, so I think it is best not to have a long speech.

I would now like to raise a toast with the wish that this visit to Japan by Their Majesties will add a new chapter to the more than 460 years of history of our bilateral exchange.

I would like to express my heartfelt wishes for Their Majesties' continued health and success, and for the further development of the relationship between Japan and Spain. Salud."