Japanese Princess Ayako Reports Her Marriage to Ancestors, Deities

October 26, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Princess Ayako reported her marriage and departure from the Imperial Family to the family's ancestors and deities in a traditional ceremony on Friday.

The "Kashikodokoro-Koreiden-Shinden-ni-Essuru-no-Gi" rite was performed at the Three Palace Sanctuaries in the Imperial Palace ahead of the 28-year-old princess' wedding at Meiji Jingu, a noted Shinto shrine in Tokyo, on Monday.

The third daughter of the late Prince Takamado, a cousin of Emperor Akihito, appeared in Heian-period costumes for noble women--a red "kouchigi" robe and a "nagabakama" long-trailing skirt--with her hair done up in the "osuberakashi" style of the ancient period. She borrowed the clothes from her grandmother, Princess Yuriko, the widow of the late Prince Mikasa.

Princess Ayako slowly walked down a corridor to the Kashikodokoro sanctuary while holding a "hiogi" wooden fan, sat down in front of the building, bowed once, entered the "gejin" main hall in the building and worshipped sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami, the Imperial Family's ancestral deity.

She did similarly at the Koreiden and Shinden sanctuaries enshrining the spirits of past Emperors and deities from all over the country, respectively.

The rite was joined by her mother, Princess Hisako, and elder sister, Princess Tsuguko, as well as other members of the Imperial Family and senior officials of the Imperial Household Agency. Jiji Press