The United States plans to send Vice President Mike Pence to Japan in October to attend a key ceremony for Emperor Naruhito, who ascended to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, sources familiar with bilateral relations said Monday.
Scheduled for Oct. 22, the Sokuirei Seiden no Gi ceremony — one of the major events planned in the fall for the new emperor — is aimed at proclaiming his enthronement in front of representatives from home and abroad.
Citing U.S. Vice President Dan Quayle's attendance of the enthronement ceremony for then-Emperor Akihito in November 1990, a diplomatic source said it would be appropriate for Pence to represent the United States.