Visiting Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva met Tuesday with Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako as Japan hosts its first state guest in six years to underline the importance of its ties with Brazil.

Lula attended a welcoming ceremony at the Imperial Palace, with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba participating ahead of a state banquet. First Lady Janja Lula da Silva was also present when Lula had an audience with the imperial couple.

The last foreign leader Japan hosted as a state guest was Donald Trump, then in his first term as U.S. president, in May 2019. State visits to Japan involve a welcoming ceremony, an audience with the emperor and empress, and a state banquet at the Imperial Palace.

Ishiba and Lula are scheduled to hold summit talks on Wednesday to discuss deepening ties before the president wraps up his four-day trip to Japan through Thursday.

Japan and Brazil mark the 130th anniversary this year of the establishment of diplomatic ties. Princess Kako, the younger daughter of Crown Prince Fumihito and Crown Princess Kiko, is expected to visit Brazil in early June to promote friendly relations.

Emperor Naruhito, then crown prince, visited Brazil in 2008 when the two nations marked a century since the start of Japanese emigration to Brazil, and held talks with Lula.

Brazil, one of the BRICS members alongside China and Russia, has one of the world's largest Japanese diasporas. It is a major exporter of farm products and minerals to Japan.