Aung San Suu Kyi will visit Japan from April 13 through 19. It will be her first visit to Japan in nearly three decades since her previous stay as a visiting researcher at the prestigious Kyoto University from 1985 to 1986, the foreign ministry said in the statement.

She is expected to visit Kyoto, to give speeches at the universities, to meet Myanmar nationals living in Japan and to hold talks with Japanese politics leaders, including Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Her visit will come as Japan continues to court newly-liberalised Myanmar as a trading partner. Japanese businesses have been active in Myamar with strong backing from Tokyo, including the cancelation of 350 billion yen ($3.7 billion) of debt. more…