Japan's Emperor Naruhito proclaims his enthronement in elaborate ceremony

Emperor Naruhito
(Image credit: Issei Kato/Pool/Getty Images)

In front of his family and dignitaries from around the world, Japan's Emperor Naruhito on Tuesday morning officially proclaimed his enthronement inside the Imperial Palace.

The ceremony's rituals are known as "Sokui no Rei," and at one point boxes were placed near Naruhito's throne that are said to contain a sword and jewel that date back almost 2,700 years; because these are sacred items, they have never been viewed by the public. Naruhito donned ceremonial robes, as did his wife, Empress Masako. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered a speech, ending with cheers of, "Long live the emperor!"

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
Explore More
Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.