Emperor, Empress Parade in Tokyo to Cheers of Crowds

November 10, 2019

Tokyo- With crowds of jubilant well-wishers cheering, waving flags and taking pictures at roadside, Japan's Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako rode through central Tokyo on Sunday to celebrate the Emperor's enthronement.

Under a clear sky, the Emperor, 59, and the Empress, 55, were all smiles in a black customized convertible of Toyota Motor Corp.'s Century, waving to the throngs who descended on the capital from across the nation to witness the pageant.

The "Shukuga-Onrestu-no-Gi" parade was the first procession for the Imperial couple since a parade after their marriage in June 1993.

The Emperor, wearing a black tailcoat with medals including the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum, and the Empress, in a white long dress with a tiara and a medal, left the Imperial Palace at around 3 p.m. (6 a.m. GMT), to the performance of a march composed by Yukio Kitahara, conductor of the Imperial Household Agency's music department.

They spent some 30 minutes traveling about 4.6 kilometers to their residence at the Akasaka Estate under heightened security. In reaction to cheers and applause from the crowds, Empress Masako became teary-eyed at one point during the parade.

The 400-meter motorcade, consisting of about 50 vehicles, included Crown Prince Akishino, the younger brother of the Emperor, and Crown Princess Kiko, as well as Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

At roadside, musical bands, including of the Metropolitan Police Department and the Self-Defense Forces, played a march written by composer Ikuma Dan to commemorate the couple's marriage.

To ensure security, the MPD planned to deploy up to 26,000 officers along the procession route, with cooperation from police departments from across the nation.

The parade was originally slated to take place on Oct. 22 following the "Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi" ceremony the same day to proclaim the Emperor's ascension to the throne. But it was pushed back to give precedence to efforts to address damage from Typhoon Hagibis, which wreaked havoc in central and eastern Japan in October.

Emperor Naruhito took the throne on May 1, the day after the abdication of his father, now Emperor Emeritus Akihito.

The parade was held as an act of the Emperor in matters of state under the Constitution. Jiji Press