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▼ Emperor Hirohito Aide Criticized Gov't for "Incongruous" Ascension Rite
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A close aide to Emperor Hirohito criticized the government for staging an "entirely incongruous" and costly ceremony in 1990 to mark the enthronement of Emperor Akihito, according to comments in his diary obtained by Kyodo News.
The late chamberlain Shinobu Kobayashi also wrote about his "fears" that the enthronement ceremony, "held for the first time under the new Constitution, might be used as a precedent for holding the ceremony in the future."
Discovery of the criticism from someone close to the imperial household comes as the government is preparing for a series of imperial succession rites related to Emperor Akihito's abdication and his son's enthronement in 2019.
Despite the "fears" expressed by Kobayashi, the basic plan approved by the government in April stipulates that the series of events should follow the examples of the rituals held for Emperor Akihito's enthronement following the death of Emperor Hirohito.
Kobayashi, who died in 2006, cast doubt about "Sokuirei Seiden no Gi," a highlight event for an incoming emperor.
The chamberlain, who worked for the imperial household even after Emperor Hirohito's death, was cynical of mixed styles of dresses worn by the Japanese participants in the ceremony held on Nov. 12, 1990.
The new emperor and empress, other members of the imperial household and Imperial Household Agency officials were clad in traditional garments originating in the 10th century, while the heads of the three branches of government, including then Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, were wearing Western-style tailcoats, Kobayashi noted.
He called the ceremony "an old-fashioned ceremony conducted in a stage setting that was entirely incongruous," adding that if all of the Japanese participants had worn the same Western-style clothing as the top government officials, "it would not have cost billions of yen."
The late chamberlain Shinobu Kobayashi also wrote about his "fears" that the enthronement ceremony, "held for the first time under the new Constitution, might be used as a precedent for holding the ceremony in the future."
Discovery of the criticism from someone close to the imperial household comes as the government is preparing for a series of imperial succession rites related to Emperor Akihito's abdication and his son's enthronement in 2019.
Despite the "fears" expressed by Kobayashi, the basic plan approved by the government in April stipulates that the series of events should follow the examples of the rituals held for Emperor Akihito's enthronement following the death of Emperor Hirohito.
Kobayashi, who died in 2006, cast doubt about "Sokuirei Seiden no Gi," a highlight event for an incoming emperor.
The chamberlain, who worked for the imperial household even after Emperor Hirohito's death, was cynical of mixed styles of dresses worn by the Japanese participants in the ceremony held on Nov. 12, 1990.
The new emperor and empress, other members of the imperial household and Imperial Household Agency officials were clad in traditional garments originating in the 10th century, while the heads of the three branches of government, including then Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, were wearing Western-style tailcoats, Kobayashi noted.
He called the ceremony "an old-fashioned ceremony conducted in a stage setting that was entirely incongruous," adding that if all of the Japanese participants had worn the same Western-style clothing as the top government officials, "it would not have cost billions of yen."
He also wrote about his displeasure with top officials in the Cabinet Legislation Bureau who gave "detailed instructions" on how to stage the ceremony, including where to place state and privy seals, in an attempt to weaken the religious nature of the event amid controversy over the separation of religion and state stipulated in the Constitution.
The Cabinet Legislation Bureau officials insisted the seals were non-religious items, and instructed they be displayed prominently during the ceremony, according to Kobayashi's diary.
"They believe that if the state and privy seals had been placed in an obscure place, the purpose to weaken the religious nature would not have been fulfilled," he wrote, adding, "how timid they are."
The same ceremony will be held on Oct. 22, 2019, as the incumbent 84-year-old monarch is set to abdicate on April 30, with his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, ascending the Chrysanthemum throne the following day.
Emperor Akihito took over the throne after his father, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, died on Jan. 7, 1989, at age 87.
Japan's postwar Constitution bans the state from engaging in religious activities. In fact, a series of lawsuits contesting the constitutionality of the rituals related to Emperor Akihito's enthronement were filed across Japan, only for all of them to be dismissed.
But a 1995 ruling by the Osaka High Court pointed out that the government might have violated the Constitution for financing the rituals.
The Cabinet Legislation Bureau officials insisted the seals were non-religious items, and instructed they be displayed prominently during the ceremony, according to Kobayashi's diary.
"They believe that if the state and privy seals had been placed in an obscure place, the purpose to weaken the religious nature would not have been fulfilled," he wrote, adding, "how timid they are."
The same ceremony will be held on Oct. 22, 2019, as the incumbent 84-year-old monarch is set to abdicate on April 30, with his son, Crown Prince Naruhito, ascending the Chrysanthemum throne the following day.
Emperor Akihito took over the throne after his father, posthumously known as Emperor Showa, died on Jan. 7, 1989, at age 87.
Japan's postwar Constitution bans the state from engaging in religious activities. In fact, a series of lawsuits contesting the constitutionality of the rituals related to Emperor Akihito's enthronement were filed across Japan, only for all of them to be dismissed.
But a 1995 ruling by the Osaka High Court pointed out that the government might have violated the Constitution for financing the rituals.
- August 24, 2018
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