Jonathan Frederic De Santos

Journalists covering President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 's state visit to Japan. Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News

Journalists covering President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. 's state visit to Japan pose for a photo with Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Jervis Manahan

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1780112625023viber_image_2026-05-30_10-31-09-943.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">Journalists covering President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. &#x27;s state visit to Japan pose for a photo with Palace Press Officer Claire Castro. Jervis Manahan, ABS-CBN News</span></span></span></div><p>TOKYO, Japan — Covering a state visit may sound like a tall order, as there are strict protocols in place from host countries that must be followed at all times, but there are interesting things that happen on the sidelines of the official events.</p><p>During President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.&#x27;s state visit to Japan, there were parts where news reporters were not allowed to use mobile phones to take photos and videos.</p><p>While official camera crews could take footage, &#x27;pen journalists&#x27; — as how Japan&#x27;s Ministry of Foreign Affairs call them — only had their eyes and memory to record what was happening which ranged from breaks in protocol to some unexpected guests.</p><div>At the Imperial Palace where Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako welcomed the Philippine first couple, reporters were strictly warned against using mobile phones.<br/><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=476&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1555191072699145%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=267&amp;t=0" width="267" height="476" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe></div><p>Despite very strict security, an unwanted and uninvited guest made it to the red carpet a few moments before the imperial couple went out of the Palace to receive the president: Not a human, but a lizard.</p><p>So a protocol officer had to scramble and secure the lizard minutes before the ceremony began.</p><p>Everything in the coverage went to plan as expected with a dignified state visit—</p><p>a walk on the red carpet, the anthems, a tete-a-tete between the leaders.</p><p>But just when the event, and the coverage, was about to end, something unexpected happened.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/27/marcos-receives-japan-s-highest-honor-in-state-call-with-emperor-1520">Marcos receives Japan&#x27;s highest honor in state call with Emperor<br/></a></div><p>As the emperor and empress were about to enter the Palace door, they paused briefly, looked at each other at the eye, and approached the Filipino reporters for some pleasantries.</p><p>They asked the Filipino reporters about their stay, and if this is their first time visiting Japan. In exchange, reporters told them about their good experiences in Japan, and how Japanese people have been warm and hospitable to visitors.</p><p>Reporters were later informed that this happens very rarely, because these are very powerful people breaching protocol.</p><p>Even President Marcos was surprised to learn that the emperor exchanged pleasantries with the reporters covering the state visit.</p><div><a class="fr-green fr-strong" href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/business/2026/5/29/marcos-japan-trip-brings-in-p56-3-billion-in-investments-dti-1636">Marcos&#x27; Japan trip brings in P56.3 billion in investments—DTI</a></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>HALO-HALO DIPLOMACY<br/></strong></div><p>It has been customary for the president to face the Philippine press on the last day of a foreign trip to talk about the fruits of the visit.</p><p>In a rare opportunity, Marcos spoke extensively about issues hounding the political arena– from what he called a &quot;fake&quot; shooting at the Senate to conspiracy theories to cancel elections in 2028.</p><p>After the briefing, when the broadcast cameras stopped rolling, Marcos shared to reporters his gift to the emperor: a halo-halo set.</p><p>Marcos shared that he learned the emperor had previously tasted halo-halo in an event of the Philippine Embassy, so he found it nice to gift the couple a tall glass, a spoon, and a recipe for the Pinoy dessert.</p><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-1" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:514px;height:602px;display:block;flex-grow:1" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-1&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=2060229813953310974&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fod2-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring%3Fitem%3Durn%3Anewsml%3Aod2-workbench-api.abs-cbn.com%3A2026-05-30T03%3A58%3A56.526545%3A9ff62e27-9326-4d6c-85fc-096305e778ea%26action%3Dedit&amp;sessionId=bf7f35d24164f32a4a1b01f244050b9e03913aaa&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=6a3ad42b224df%3A1778106238597&amp;width=550px" data-tweet-id="2060229813953310974"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.x.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><div><br/></div><div><br/></div><div><strong>SINGING SECRETARIES</strong></div><p>While video recording was fully allowed during the meeting with Filipino community, there are details that do not usually make it to the newscast.</p><p>During the pre-program while waiting for the president&#x27;s arrival, the event hosts would hype up the Filipino crowd with performances.</p><p>They would usually tease some Cabinet secretaries into singing with them, and some were game for it.</p><p>During the FilCom event in Japan, one Cabinet secretary sang the OPM song &quot;Narda&quot; onstage, while another administrator gamely sang a few songs to hype the crowd up.</p><p>Palace Press Officer Claire Castro, who entered the room with the crowd giving her a celebrity-like welcome, gamely sang a few lines.</p><p>Filipinos in Japan know Castro well because they watch Palace briefings regularly. </p><div><br/></div><div><strong>STATE VISIT COVERAGE<br/></strong></div><p>Aside from Cabinet secretaries, some high profile personalities joined the state visit.</p><p>Tycoons Ramon Ang and Sabin Aboitiz, as well as other top executives were also seen in some events in Tokyo.</p><p>While there are lots of political, economic, and defense stories that pop up during the coverage of a state visit, interesting things happen on the sidelines, and reporters covering are usually at the lookout with what cameras don&#x27;t usually capture.</p><p>Because sometimes the most juicy things happen off the record.</p>

<p>Covering a state visit may sound like a tall order, as there are strict protocols in place from host countries that must be followed at all times, but there are interesting things that happen on the sidelines of the official events.</p>

Covering a state visit may sound like a tall order, as there are strict protocols in place from host countries that must be followed at all times, but there are interesting things that happen on the sidelines of the official events.

From the emperor's pep talk to an unwanted lizard: Behind the scenes of the state visit to Japan

News

Entertainment

Lifestyle

Sports

Metro.Style

More

Sudoku

Word of the Day

Lotto

Horoscope

Nation

From the emperor's pep talk to an unwanted lizard: Behind the scenes of the state visit to Japan

Jervis Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 30, 2026 12:13 PM PHT

|

Updated May 30, 2026 06:42 PM PHT

Read More:

Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

State visit

Japan

ABS-CBN is the leading media and entertainment company in the Philippines, offering quality content across TV, radio, digital, and film. Committed to public service and promoting Filipino values, ABS-CBN continues to inspire and connect audiences worldwide.

Corporate

Investors

Governance

International Distribution

Corporate

Governance

Investors

International Distribution

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

AI Policy

Terms of Service

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.

NPC Seal of Registration

Privacy Policy

Terms of Service

AI Policy

Advertise with Us

© 2026 ABS-CBN Corporation. All Rights Reserved.