Pictures from Nara

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae pose for a photo at Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 14, 2026. Yonhap
SEOUL, January 15 (AJP) -Drumbeats, temple corridors and carefully choreographed cultural gestures took center stage during South Korean President Lee Jae Myung’s brief two-day visit to Nara Prefecture, a trip that emphasized symbolism and atmosphere over contentious diplomatic files. 

Lee visited Nara at the invitation of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, wrapping up his fifth overseas trip since taking office and his second summit with the Japanese leader before departing for Seoul on Tuesday. 

Formal talks reaffirmed familiar ground. The two leaders agreed to maintain shuttle diplomacy and pursue future-oriented cooperation, including launching working-level discussions on advanced industries such as artificial intelligence and strengthening joint responses to cross-border crimes.

Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and trilateral cooperation among South Korea, Japan and China were also addressed — but without headline-making breakthroughs. Instead, the visit’s defining images came from its cultural itinerary.

On Tuesday morning, Lee and Takaichi toured Horyu-ji Temple in Ikaruga, one of Japan’s most revered Buddhist sites. In a rare diplomatic courtesy, Japanese officials opened restricted storage areas and granted access to the original murals of the temple’s main hall, typically closed to the public.

Founded in the early 7th century under the influence of Buddhism introduced by Prince Shotoku, Horyu-ji is widely regarded as a cornerstone of Japanese civilization. Home to some of the world’s oldest surviving wooden structures, it became Japan’s first UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site in 1993.

The carefully curated visit underscored a shared message: that bilateral ties should be framed not by unresolved historical sensitivities, but by a common cultural inheritance and a forward-looking narrative. In Nara, history was not debated — it was displayed, quietly and deliberately, as diplomacy moved to the rhythm of ceremony rather than confrontation. 

 

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae tour Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 14, 2026. Yonhap

 

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae tour Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 14, 2026. Yonhap

 

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae tour Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 14, 2026. Yonhap

 

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae pose for a photo at Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 14, 2026. Yonhap

 

Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan. Yonhap

 

South Korean President Lee Jae-myung and Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae pose for a photo at Horyu-ji Temple, a major cultural heritage site in Nara Prefecture, Japan, on Jan. 14, 2026. Yonhap

 

Yoo Na-hyun Reporter shooting@ajupress.com