The annual conferment of the first Order of Merit in the spring season was performed in the "Pine Hall" of the Imperial Palace and 13 Japanese were decorated by Emperor Akihito.
The highest order (the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Rising Sun, Paulownia Flowers) was presented to Ryohachi Kusaba, former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, the same without Flowers to six people including Reona Esaki, former President of Tsukuba University, and the Grand Cordon of the Order of the Sacred Treasure to another six including Masao Tani, Chairman of Hokuriku Electric Power Co.
A ceremony followed in the "Pine Breeze Hall" to decorate 84 others with the Second Order of Merit, at which Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto officiated.

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto met visiting President Natsagiin Bagabandi of Mongolia at his official residence. The two leaders announced a "Joint Communique on Friendship and Reciprocity" to strengthen a comprehensive bilateral relationship.
Bagabandi expressed his nation's wish to become an APEC member. Hashimoto responded positively, saying: "It must be considered in an amicable light whenever the issue of membership expansion is taken up at an APEC meeting in the future."

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto visiting Birmingham, UK, for summit talks met President Bill Clinton for the first time in six months. The two leaders agreed on close cooperation to ease the Indonesian crisis.
On the matter of India's nuclear tests, they agreed to jointly prompt the Summit constituents to criticize India clearly and strongly urge India to stop nuclear weapons development.
Recognizing the importance of the Japanese-US relationship, Hashimoto accepted Clinton's invitation to come to the US on an official visit this July.

Following his talk with Bill Clinton in Birmingham, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto met Prime Minister Tony Blair of the UK, host country of the Summit this year, on the same day.
Referring to the planned visit by the Emperor and Empress to the UK in late May, Hashimoto told Blair that he is preparing for the occasion and "praying" for its success.

Hashimoto's talk with Tony Blair was followed by a session with Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany. The two leaders touched on Indonesia --- the necessity of on-going economic aid to Indonesia and of urging the Indonesian Government and people to refrain from violence and band together in their national turmoil.
Hashimoto and Kohl also vowed that they would collaborate in a joint bid to become UN Security Council members.

On the afternoon of May 15, prior to the meeting of the G-8, Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto met Boris Yeltsin of Russia who mentioned Hashimoto's new overture to solve the problem of the "Four Northern Islands" by first determining a line to define the two countries' border. Yeltsin said: "The issue is under consideration. I will answer when you (Hashimoto) visit Moscow this autumn."
It was the first ever such remark by Yeltsin concerning the territory issue.

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto met virtually all participants in the Summit this year from May 15-17 and seriously discussed a broad range of international issues --- the Asian economy, global trade, development and the environment, transnational crime, and so on.
Hashimoto severely criticized India for their nuclear tests. As for Indonesian distress, he issued a statement of support for the G-8's collective aid for Indonesian economic reform and of advice for all Indonesians to remain calm in their major crisis.

A "Go-Go Party" was held at the Constitution Memorial Museum in central Tokyo to cheer for the Japanese national team prior to their departure to compete in World Cup football games to start in France. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto also attended.
In his speech he said: "The Birmingham Summit recess time was devoted to chats on football. I said Japan would win. So I want you, who are our best players, to relax and play hard."
Masami Ihara, captain of the team, said in his reply: "We will do our very best for Japan and for the sake of each other."

Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto called a "Cabinet Meeting on the Indonesian Crisis" and expressed his grave concern over the "unpredictable urgency."
First of all, he referred to the "serious threat to the safety of Japanese nationals living there" and instructed Ministers concerned to do their best quickly and precisely to protect such Japanese.

The Emperor and Empress took off from Haneda Airport, Tokyo, on their official tour of the UK and Denmark. Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto saw them off as they boarded a special Government plane.
Emperor Akihito has close ties with the royal families of both countries. This was his fourth visit to Britain, including one he made while he was Crown Prince, and his second visit to Denmark.
Prior to their departure from Haneda on their two-week trip, the Emperor said to royal well-wishers and Hashimoto: "I shall try to further consolidate people-to-people understanding and friendship."