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Post by Admin on Oct 22, 2019 18:17:51 GMT
Japan's Emperor Naruhito has formally proclaimed his ascension to the throne in an elaborate ceremony. The emperor, 59, officially began his reign in May after the abdication of his father, the then-Emperor Akihito. But, after a series of traditional rituals inside the imperial palace in Tokyo, his ascension has now been formalised. The ceremony comes as Japan reels from the effects of Typhoon Hagibis, which left almost 80 people dead. A celebration parade was postponed out of respect for the victims and their families. What happened at the ceremony? The Sokui no Rei - or the Ceremony of Accession - saw Emperor Naruhito inside the 6.5m-high Takamikura throne. He read out a formal proclamation, dressed in a yellow-orange robe worn only by emperors on special occasions. "I swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfil my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people," he said, according to a Reuters translation. The ceremony, conducted largely in silence, was held in the presence of an ancient sword and jewel - sacred treasures that act as symbols of imperial power. Hundreds of foreign dignitaries, including the UK's Prince Charles, were in attendance. The emperor will later host a tea party for foreign royalty, while Mr Abe will host a banquet in the evening.
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Post by Admin on Oct 23, 2019 7:06:25 GMT
Japan's Emperor Naruhito has officially proclaimed his enthronement, in a ritual-bound, centuries-old ceremony attended by more than a hundred dignitaries from around the world. More than half a million people were granted pardons in Japan on Tuesday as part of a pre-war custom of clemency to mark Naruhito formally ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne as the nation’s 216th emperor. The government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pardoned about 550,000 people who were found guilty of petty crimes such as traffic violations ahead of the ceremony to mark the occasion. The emperor, 59, officially began his reign in May when he inherited the throne after the abdication of his father Akihito. However, Tuesday was when Naruhito pledged to serve as a symbol of the state for his people. "I hereby proclaim my enthronement to those at home and abroad," Naruhito said. "I hereby swear that I will act according to the constitution and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan, while always praying for the happiness of the people and the peace of the world as I stand with the people."
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Post by Admin on Oct 23, 2019 21:17:52 GMT
Britain's Prince Charles attended a Wales rugby training session in Tokyo on Tuesday (October 23) ahead of their World Cup semi-final against South Africa on Sunday.
Charles was presented with a Welsh rugby shirt by captain Alun Wyn Jones before posing for photographs with the team.
Wales assistant coach Neil Jenkins said: "For him to come along was brilliant, and I am sure it will give the boys a lift ... it was just a great honour for him to be there watching us."
Prince Charles' son, William, is a royal patron to the Welsh Rugby Union.
His other son, Harry, has a similar role with England's Rugby Football Union.
Wales, who have never won the tournament in its 32-year history, have played in two previous semi-finals, losing both of them.
Most recently, they lost 9-8 to France in the semi-finals in 2011 but they got a measure of revenge last weekend when they knocked the French out of the current tournament.
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Post by Admin on Oct 24, 2019 3:29:07 GMT
For the ceremony, Naruhito stood on a 21-foot throne wearing a special yellow silk cloth. Masako stood nearby, on a shorter throne, where she was wearing 12 layers of robes. The ceremony was mainly silent until a scream of “Banzai” near the end, timed so that Japanese citizens around the world could join in. Masako and the couple’s daughter, 17-year-old Princess Aiko, were not allowed to attend the May ceremony—according to the country’s imperial succession laws, all women are prohibited from being in the room when the emperor is officially throned. According to the BBC, some social media users claimed a rainbow broke out over the city at the moment of the coronation, but the news outlet was not able to confirm the meteorological event. After the ceremony, Naruhito hosted a traditional tea ceremony for the assembled royals. Later, they rejoined the dignitaries and diplomats for a banquet hosted by Japan’s prime minister Shinzo Abe. A parade was originally supposed to take place, but it has been postponed out of respect for the victims of the recent typhoon. Charles’s Wednesday in Tokyo was quite a bit more lowkey. He went to see the miniature replica of a 15th century shogun’s house at a museum, a facsimile of which was once displayed at the 1910 British-Japanese Exhibition in London. He later stopped by a department store outpost of British retailer Fortnum & Mason (Meghan’s a big fan of their tea) for an event in the U.K. Embassy’s “Food Is GREAT” series, where he tried a few different English sparkling wines.
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Post by Admin on Oct 24, 2019 21:09:34 GMT
The Prince of Wales has just undertaken a whirlwind two-day visit to Japan, to attend the enthronement ceremony of the country's new emperor, Emperor Naruhito. Prince Charles joined an impressive guest list of royals and dignitaries from more than 170 countries for the significant ceremony which is more than 2000 years old. The Sokui no Rei (Ceremony of Accession) at the Imperial Palace saw Emperor Naruhito formally ascend the Chrysanthemum Throne, following the abdication of his father Emperor Akihito due to health reasons earlier this year – the country's first abdication in 200 years. The Japanese monarchy is said to be the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world. Prince Charles travelled to Tokyo for the ceremony earlier this week on behalf of his mother The Queen, his second experience of the sacred ceremony, when he attended Emperor Akihito's enthronement ceremony in November 1990 with Princess Diana. This time, however, he travelled solo but had plenty of familiar faces to keep him company, seated next to the Crown Princess Mary and Crown Prince Frederick of Denmark. Not far away were many more royals from across Europe, including King Felipe and Queen Letizia of Spain and King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands, who Charles had helped host in England earlier this year when both couples attended the Order of the Garter ceremony.
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