The government decided Friday to stage a ceremony in October next year to mark Crown Prince Naruhito’s accession to the throne, but said female imperial family members will not attend one of the key enthronement rituals. The enthronement ceremony for the new emperor, now 58, is planned for Oct
The government decided Friday to stage a ceremony in October next year to mark Crown Prince Naruhito’s accession to the throne, but said female imperial family members will not attend one of the key enthronement rituals.
The enthronement ceremony for the new emperor, now 58, is planned for Oct 22,2019 as a state occasion, after he succeeds to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1 that year, a day after Emperor Akihito steps down, according to a basic government plan on imperial succession rites.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said only male imperial family members will attend the ritual on May 1 next year, in which the new emperor will inherit traditional regalia, based on the example of the previous succession in 1989.
The imperial family has traditionally only allowed male members to attend this ritual because the Imperial House Law stipulates only males can ascend the throne, according to government sources. But critics say excluding female members would be out of touch with the times.
In contrast, the government is considering allowing female cabinet ministers, currently numbering two, to take part in the rite on the grounds they are unrelated to the imperial succession and would be attending as observers, the sources said.
During the ritual, the new emperor will inherit regalia such as the sacred sword and jewels as proof of accession to the throne. When Emperor Akihito succeeded to the throne in January 1989 following the death of his father Emperor Hirohito, the attendants — composed of members of the imperial family and top government officials — were all male.
Suga also said the Imperial Household Agency is considering holding “Daijosai,” or Grand Thanksgiving rite, on Nov 14-15,2019.
