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Japan's Emperor Naruhito to announce enthronement in ancient-style ceremony
TOKYO - For Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony on Tuesday, changes may need to be made to the positioning of both officials and items in the event of inclement weather, according to the Imperial Household Agency.
The 59-year-old emperor will declare his enthronement in the "Sokuirei Seiden no gi" -- an ancient ceremony equivalent to a coronation -- from a 6.5-meter-high canopied throne, known as the Takamikura, within the Imperial Palace in Tokyo before some 2,000 guests from Japan and over 180 countries in adjoining hallways.
Under the current plan, ceremonial officials carrying swords and bows, together with drum and gong players, will line up outside in the courtyard, which is to be decorated with colorful flags and spears.
(File photo shows then Emperor Akihito proclaiming his accession in November 1990)
But the officials may have to move inside to the hallways while the flags, of varying sizes, may be removed altogether if the weather is bad. A high chance of rain has been forecast for Tokyo on Tuesday.
The 30-minute ceremony will be conducted from 1 p.m. in the "Matsu no Ma" state room, the palace's most prestigious hall, with the emperor ascending to the decorative throne.
As the curtains of the Takamikura open, the emperor, dressed in traditional Japanese attire, will stand and deliver a speech. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will then convey "yogoto" felicitations from the floor of the state room and lead the guests in three banzai cheers to wish longevity for the emperor.
The clothing to be donned by the ceremonial officials and the objects they hold are vulnerable to rain, while the flags may fly away in strong winds. The agency is therefore considering reducing the number of officials and moving them indoors.
(Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako)
The decision will be made Tuesday morning but an agency official said it will be "quite difficult" to judge what extent of rain and winds would require changes to be made.
The National Police Agency said up to 26,000 police officers will be mobilized for the ceremony and its related events through Thursday.
The imperial couple were originally scheduled to appear in a parade following the ceremony, but the event was postponed until Nov. 10 in the aftermath of a deadly typhoon earlier this month.
They will ride in a convertible along the approximately 5-kilometer route from the Imperial Palace to the Akasaka Imperial Residence in Tokyo in around 30 minutes from 3 p.m. It would be canceled in the event of poor weather, with no other date yet planned.
Dignitaries from 183 countries and international organizations who are expected to attend the ceremony include royalty such as King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, King Philippe of Belgium and King Felipe VI of Spain, as well as Britain's Prince Charles and Bhutan's King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck, according to the Foreign Ministry.
(Photo taken on April 17, 2018, shows the Takamikura throne, left, at the Kyoto Imperial Palace.)
Emperor Naruhito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, the day after his father former Emperor Akihito abdicated, Japan's first monarch to do so in more than 200 years.
Similarly, a number of European monarchs have also recently relinquished the throne, with Dutch King Willem-Alexander ascending in April 2013 following the abdication of his mother former Queen Beatrix.
Belgian Prince Philippe succeeded to the throne following the abdication of his father King Albert II in July 2013. The Japanese imperial family and the Belgian royal family are on friendly terms, with former Emperor Akihito and the late King Baudouin I having had a close friendship.
Spain's King Felipe VI ascended the throne following his father's abdication in June 2014.
Emperor Naruhito is said to keep in touch by email with the Netherlands' King Willem-Alexander, 52, and a number of other overseas royals who are around the same age.
"They're probably sharing thoughts on matters which only a royal could understand," an aide to the Japanese emperor said.
A court banquet will be held Tuesday evening at the Imperial Palace, where the emperor and Empress Masako will greet the invited guests.
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List of foreign dignitaries expected to attend enthronement ceremony
The following is the lineup of major foreign dignitaries by region who are expected to attend Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony on Tuesday, based on a list provided by the Japanese government. More than 170 countries and international organizations will send representatives to the event.
Asia
-- Bhutan
King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck
-- Cambodia
King Norodom Sihamoni
-- China
Vice President Wang Qishan
-- India
President Ram Nath Kovind
-- Malaysia
King Abdullah
-- Myanmar
State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi
-- Philippines
President Rodrigo Duterte
-- Singapore
President Halimah Yacob
-- South Korea
Prime Minister Lee Nak Yon
-- Thailand
Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha
-- Vietnam
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc
Oceania
-- Australia
Governor-General David Hurley
-- New Zealand
Governor-General Patsy Reddy
-- Tonga
King Tupou VI
North America
-- Canada
Chief Justice Richard Wagner
-- United States of America
Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao
South America
-- Argentina
Vice President Gabriela Michetti
-- Brazil
President Jair Messias Bolsonaro
-- Chile
Former President Eduardo Frei Ruiz-Tagle
-- Colombia
Minister of Foreign Affairs Carlos Holmes Trujillo
-- Paraguay
Vice President Hugo Velazquez Moreno
-- Peru
Minister of Culture Francisco Enrique Hugo Petrozzi Franco
-- Uruguay
Minister of Foreign Affairs Rodolfo Nin Novoa
Europe
-- Austria
President Alexander Van der Bellen
-- Belgium
King Philippe
-- Denmark
Crown Prince Frederik
-- Finland
President Sauli Niinisto
-- France
Former President Nicolas Sarkozy
-- Germany
President Frank-Walter Steinmeier
-- Hungary
President Ader Janos
-- Luxembourg
Grand Duke Henri
-- Monaco
Prince Albert II
-- Netherlands
King Willem-Alexander
-- Norway
Crown Prince Haakon
-- Russia
Deputy Speaker of the Federation Council Iliyas Umakhanov
-- Spain
King Felipe VI
-- Sweden
King Carl XVI Gustaf
-- Britain
Prince Charles
-- Vatican
Cardinal Francesco Monterisi
Middle East
-- Afghanistan
President Ashraf Ghani
-- Bahrain
Crown Prince Salman
Africa
-- Democratic Republic of the Congo
President Felix Tshisekedi
-- Egypt
Minister of Antiquities Khaled El Anany
-- Kenya
President Uhuru Kenyatta
-- South Africa
Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Candith Mashego-Dlamini
-- Zimbabwe
Former Minister of Foreign Affairs Simbarashe Mumbengegwi
International Organizations, others
-- United Nations
Chef de Cabinet, Executive Office of the Secretary-General Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti
-- European Union
High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Vice-President of the European Commission Federica Mogherini
-- Palestine
President Mahmoud Abbas
