Prince Akishino of Japan will kick off a four-day visit on Wednesday to Paraguay, where he will join the ethnic Japanese community in celebrating the 70th anniversary of the first Japanese immigrants' arrival.
The prince will be making the trip without his wife, Princess Kiko, who gave birth to their third child and the imperial family's first male heir in four decades on September 6, Japanese Ambassador Kenro Lino told reporters.
The diplomat said Akishino's visit would seek to "strengthen ties and evaluate the state of Japanese co-operation" with Paraguay. The two countries established bilateral relations in 1919.
Some 10,000 Japanese immigrants and people of Japanese descent are expected to welcome Akishino, the second son of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.
From here, Akishino will spend two days in Santiago, Chile before returning home on November 7.