Enthronement ceremonies for new Emperor eyed for autumn 2019

December 3, 2017

Tokyo- The "sokui no rei" enthronement ceremonies for Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito are expected to take place in autumn 2019, about a half year after Emperor Akihito abdicates on April 30 and the Crown Prince accedes to the throne the following day, government sources said Saturday.

The abdication and accession days were set at a meeting of the Imperial House Council on Friday.

The government is slated to launch a task force headed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga early next year to discuss proceedings of the ceremonies, with a view to cutting related expenses as much as possible, the sources said.

In the last Imperial succession, the "sokuirei seiden no gi" ceremony, the main event for the enthronement, was held on Nov. 12, 1990, after the current Emperor assumed the throne on Jan. 7, 1989, due to the demise earlier that day of Emperor Hirohito, posthumously called Emperor Showa.

Holding of the ceremony was put on hold for nearly two years as the new Emperor had to mourn the late Emperor. But such a long interval is considered unnecessary between the Crown Prince's accession and the enthronement ceremony, because the Chrysanthemum Throne will be transferred upon abdication this time, the sources said.

Meanwhile, the government will consider cutting costs for the "kyoen no gi" banquets, in efforts to win public support for conducting various ceremonies for the Imperial succession. In the last succession, a total of seven such banquets were held for four days. Jiji Press