JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Japanese Emperor Akihito received a colorful welcome Thursday to Indonesia, where teenage girls draped him in flowers and Indonesian and Japanese flags decorated his route from the airport into the city.
The emperor and Empress Michiko, greeted at the airport by interim Foreign Minister Benny Murdani, drove in in a motorcade to the Merdeka Palace where Akihito received a state welcome from President Suharto.
No official talks were scheduled between Akihito and Suharto during the emperor's four-day stay, which winds up an 11-day Southeast Asian tour. The royal couple previously visited Thailand and Malaysia.
The emperor's arrival marked the first visit to Indonesia by a Japanese ruler, although Akihito and Michiko visited Indonesia in 1963 on their honeymoon, when he was crown prince.
Indonesia, is one of the Southeast Asian nations that endured a harsh Japanese military occupation during World War II.
Unlike 1974, when Indonesian students led anti-Japanese protests during a visit by Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka, no demonstrations were expected.
Indonesia's ambassador to Japan, Pudji Kuntarso, said Jakarta did not expect Akihito to offer a formal apology for Japan's wartime occupation during his visit.
'I don't think that kind of expression of apology is expected in Indonesia,' Kuntarso said. 'If you invite a guest, you have to respect the guest and not put him in a difficult position.'
The emperor and his entourage were scheduled to fly to the famous Javanese cultural center of Jogjakarta Friday where they planned to watch the Ramayana play at Prambanan Temple and visit the ancient Borobudur Buddhist temple the following day. They were scheduled to leave for Japan Sunday.
