King Tupou VI and Queen Nanasipau'u exchanged gifts with HE Mr Munenaga Kensaku and Mrs Yoshiko Munenaga during a Royal Audience at the Palace in Nuku'alofa today, 3 November 2023.

HE Munenaga has served three years as Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to the Kingdom of Tonga. He arrived in Tonga on November 19, 2020 as the fifth resident Ambassador of Japan to Tonga.

He said this farewell Royal Audience underlined the cordial relations between Tonga and Japan, which is founded upon the warm friendship between the Royal Household of Tonga and the Imperial Household of Japan.

During their term, the ambassador and his wife witnessed the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption and tsunami. He paved the way to the first landing of the Japanese Air Self-Defence Force in Tonga for the delivery of emergency food and water.

HE Mr Munenaga also assisted in securing thousands of doses of Covid-19 vaccines for all of Tonga's island groups including, the Niuas.

Before he came to Tonga he was the Director General of Budget and Personnel for the Asian Development Bank.

- Photos by Tupou Vaipulu Jr.