NEWSWORTHY
Emperor Akihito welcomes Vietnamese president in what may be his final state banquet
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko welcomed Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang on Wednesday in what may be the final state banquet before the Emperor abdicates next April. Events to show hospitality to state guests, including banquets, are known to have been a great burden for ...
Japan likely to announce name for next Imperial era around April 1, 2019: Suga
The government is likely to announce the name of the next Imperial era around April 1, 2019, a month before Crown Prince Naruhito becomes the next emperor, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Thursday. The government will begin preparations for the change of gengō (era ...
With just a year to go until Emperor Akihito's abdication next year Japan is stepping up its governmental, logistic and cultural preparations for the rare event. The Imperial abdication on April 30, 2019, will be the first since Emperor Kokaku relinquished his title in 1817, ...
37% of Japanese public wants to know name of next era by year's end: survey
A recent survey shows 37.1 percent of the public believes the name of the era to be launched by Crown Prince Naruhito's accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne in 2019 should be announced by the end of this year. In the survey, conducted by Jiji Press ...
With amnesty or death, Japan seeks to draw a line under Heisei Era crimes
Those with the conviction that members of Japan's Imperial family have negligible impact on the lives of their subjects should bear in mind that for a tiny few, it can literally be a matter of life or death. More specifically, on festive occasions such as ...
State does not plan to have female members of Imperial family attend key enthronement ceremony
The government does not plan to invite female members of the Imperial Family to the Kenji to Shokei no Gi, one of the core ceremonies that will be used to mark Crown Prince Naruhito’s accession on May 1 next year.
Japan to name its next era after February 2019 ceremony celebrating Emperor's enthronement
The central government is planning to announce the name of the next era after a ceremony to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Emperor Akihito's enthronement on Feb. 24, 2019, government sources said. The government is concerned that naming the new era before the anniversary ceremony ...
Formal plan to hold Emperor's abdication ceremony gets government approval
The government Tuesday approved a plan to hold Emperor Akihito's abdication ceremony on April 30, 2019, providing a legal basis for the nation's first Imperial abdication in more than two centuries. It approved one-off legislation for the abdication, which also enables the Emperor and Empress ...
Imperial Couple's potentially last visit to Okinawa to take place later this month
Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko will make a three-day visit to Okinawa from March 27 to commemorate the victims of World War II in what might be their final trip to the prefecture before the Emperor's abdication, the Imperial Household Agency said Monday. The Imperial ...
Marking 58th birthday, Crown Prince Naruhito vows 'self-improvement' ahead of accession
Crown Prince Naruhito, who turned 58 on Friday, vowed to "pursue self-improvement" ahead of his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne on May 1, 2019. Speaking about the emperor's constitutional role as symbol of the state in the upcoming new era, the Crown Prince said, "I ...
Emperor Akihito's April 2019 abdication ceremony to be state occasion
The government committee preparing arrangements related to Emperor Akihito's abdication announced on Tuesday that a ceremony to be held on April 30, 2019, the day he steps down, will be a state occasion. The panel, headed by Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, also agreed to ...
Japan may delay release of new era name until year-end or later
The pending name of Japan’s next era might not be released for awhile to avoid unforeseen complications and controversies ahead of the Emperor’s abdication in April 2019.
