The Emperor and Empress of Japan will be met by the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair and his wife Cherie on the steps of their official residence in the heart of London.

Joining them for lunch will be guests drawn from eclectic walks of life who all have links with Japan.

This is the third day of the emperor's state visit to the UK.

He begins his list of engagements with a visit to the Royal Botanic Gardens, at Kew.

There he will be guided around the Japanese area, which is landscaped and planted in a manner which should be familiar to him.

After lunch the emperor and empress move on to a reception and medal presentation at the Royal Society for Advancement of Science in Carlton House Terrace.

In the evening the emperor and empress will host a return banquet for the Queen at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

As with the first two days of this visit, small demonstrations are expected by former prisoners-of-war who were held in Japanese labour camps during the 1940s.

Protesters outside the Guildhall calling for compensation payments to POWs

They are demanding a formal apology and compensation from Tokyo for the torture they endured and want compensation for their suffering.

But no-one attending a banquet in the City of London, held in the emperor's honour, seemed to pay attention to the POWs call that red be worn as a symbol of protest at the visit.

There was little or no sign of the colour being displayed among the diners on the evening.

In his speech, on Wednesday night, Emperor Akihito said he hoped this visit would promote friendship between Japan and Britain.

The Emperor, though a fluent English speaker, gave his speech in Japanese as he did 24 hours earlier at Buckingham Palace.

English translations were distributed to each guest with the menu, who were then able to follow his words.

He made only an oblique reference to the controversy surrounding the visit when he spoke of "the challenges of history".

He added: "I sincerely hope that our relationship will continue to develop further on this solid basis, and I will be most pleased if our visit can contribute to this end."

His speech was warmly applauded, as was that of the Lord Mayor, Alderman Richard Nichols, who told the Emperor: "Your Majesty, your visit to Britain is very welcome."

Alderman Nichols spoke of the value of Japanese investment in Britain, amounting to £20 billion and providing an estimated 65,000 jobs.

He got the warmest applause of the evening, particularly from the Japanese guests, when he ventured into their language to tell the Emperor: "Tonight I am grateful for your coming here, Your Majesty."