Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito attends a ritual called Chokushi-Hakken-no-gi, a ceremony of dispatching Imperial Envoys to the Jingu (Ise Grand Shrine) and Mausolea of Emperor Jinmu and the 4 recent emperors up to Emperor Showa, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. (Source: Reuters)Japan’s Emperor Naruhito has performed a Shinto ritual at the palace to report to imperial family gods the plans for the main ceremonies of his succession later this year.
Naruhito ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, the day after his father Akihito abdicated.
Naruhito, wearing a headdress and an ancient outfit dyed in burnt orange, prayed at the Kashikodokoro shrine on Wednesday followed by palace officials who carried the imperial regalia of a sacred sword and jewel he inherited when Akihito abdicated.
Japan’s new Emperor Naruhito, left waves with Empress Masako, right, to well-wishers from the balcony during his first public appearance with his imperial families at Imperial Palace Saturday in Tokyo. (Source: AP)Enshrined at Kashikodokoro is the goddess Amaterasu, who is the mythological ancestress of Japan’s emperors.
The main ascension ceremony is planned in October, when thousands of guests from in and outside Japan will be invited, followed by a religious harvest rite in November.
