Sofia  - Japan's Prince Akishino arrived Thursday in Bulgaria on a three-day visit marking half a century of diplomatic relations between Tokyo and Sofia.

Akishino, 43, the second son of Emperor Akihito, has embarked on a two-week tour of Europe with his wife, Princess Kiko. The tour has stops in Austria, Bulgaria, Hungary and Romania.

In Bulgaria, Akishino was scheduled to meet the Balkan country's top officials and tour sites of cultural and historic importance.(dpa)