Naruhito: Japan's Emperor Proclaims Enthronement

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."

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.