Prince Akishino Opposes Use of Public Funds for Daijosai Ceremony

November 30, 2018

Tokyo -- Japanese Prince Akishino has expressed opposition to the planned use of public funds for Crown Prince Naruhito to hold the Daijosai ceremony after acceding to the throne next year.

In the ceremony, a new Emperor prays for the well-being of the people and a good harvest. The Crown Prince is scheduled to perform it in November 2019 after his accession to the throne in May the same year.

"Costs to hold Daijosai should be covered by personal funds of the Imperial family," Prince Akishino told a press conference to mark his 53rd birthday on Friday.

"Daijosai is highly religious, in a sense. I wonder whether it is appropriate for public funds to finance it," he said.

It is necessary to "cut one's coat according to one's cloth," Prince Akishino said.

He said he was also against the use of public funds when the ceremony was last performed in November 1990 by Emperor Akihito, the father of Crown Prince Naruhito and Prince Akishino.

Prince Akishino said this view has been conveyed to Imperial Household Agency staff, including Grand Steward Shinichiro Yamamoto, but that it was "very disappointing" that his call has fallen on deaf ears.

The government plans to use public money for the coming Daijosai as palace-related expenses as in the 1990 ceremony. The 1990 Daijosai cost some 2.25 billion yen.

Some say using public funds for Daijosai violates the constitutional separation of religion and politics as the ceremony is highly religious.

Many lawsuits were filed following the 1990 Daijosai complaining that the use of public money violates the constitution. All of them were dismissed.

In response to Prince Akishino's remarks, Yamamoto said the prince expressed his personal opinion.

The prince's remarks cannot be taken as those intended to affect politics because the use of public money for the coming Daijosai has already been decided, Yamamoto said. Jiji Press