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.
The head of state began his reign in May, after his father, Akihito, became the first emperor to abdicate in 200 years.
But on Tuesday, Naruhito, 59, announced his change in status to the world, in an elaborate series of rituals known as “Sokui no Rei” at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
Naruhito wore a rust-colored robe — just as his father did during his own enthronement in 1990 — while Masako wore a patterned, white robe and topped her traditional hairstyle with a gilded headpiece.
The brother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito, 83-year-old Prince Hitachi, watched the proceedings from a wheelchair.
Reading from a large piece of paper, Naruhito then proclaimed his enthronement before an audience of the imperial family.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe walks past Emperor Naruhito during a ceremony to proclaim his ascension to the Chrysanthemum Throne during an enthronement ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on October 22, 2019. (Photo by ISSEI KATO / POOL / AFP) (Photo by ISSEI KATO/POOL/AFP via Getty Images)
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