ZCZC
BFF-26
JAPAN-ROYALS-CEREMONY-EMPEROR-PROCLAIM
Japan emperor formally proclaims enthronement
TOKYO, Oct 22, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – Japan’s Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday
formally proclaimed his enthronement in front of royals and leaders from
around the world, completing his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
Dressed in a ceremonial outfit dominated by a draped outer robe in copper,
Naruhito announced: “I hereby declare my enthronement at home and abroad.”
The ceremony was conducted largely in silence, with only drums and gongs
sounding. Some 2,000 guests, including foreign dignitaries and royalty, stood
at the sound of a deep drum beat before the proclamation began.
When the ceremony was complete, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe cried “Banzai!”
(“long live the emperor”) three times.
Naruhito officially assumed his duties as emperor on May 1, the day after
his father became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in two centuries.
But the transition was not complete until his new role was officially
proclaimed.
In the wake of Typhoon Hagibis, the government postponed a royal parade
until November 10, but the rest of the day’s ceremonies were left unchanged.
BSS/AFP/GMR/1049 hrs