As Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne Wednesday, a key imperial succession ritual related to Shinto rekindled controversy over the separation of state and religion, which is stipulated in the Constitution.
Shinto is a Japanese religion in which the emperor is venerated as a descendant of a sun goddess. In the ritual, the emperor inherited the imperial regalia, which are said to have been bestowed by the sun goddess Amaterasu Omikami as proof of his ascension to the throne.
As the Kenji to Shokei no Gi rite marking the emperor's enthronement was staged as a state occasion financed by public funds, critics pointed to the possibility that it violated the Constitution banning the government from engaging in religious activities.