The is an official

inauguration In government and politics, inauguration is the process of swearing a person into office and thus making that person the incumbent. Such an inauguration commonly occurs through a formal ceremony or special event, which may also include an inaugu ...

ceremony whereby the

Emperor of Japan The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his position is derived from "the ...

formally appoints the nominated Chief Justice or the nominated

Prime Minister of Japan The prime minister of Japan ( Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of S ...

to office. During the time period of the

Empire of Japan The also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was a historical nation-state and great power that existed from the Meiji Restoration in 1868 until the enactment of the post-World War II 1947 constitution and subsequent form ...

, as the Emperor was the source of executive authority, there were also investitures held for military officials. Such appointees were called the .

Ceremony

Emperor Naruhito appoints Prime Minister nominee Fumio Kishida to office

The investiture ceremony is held in the of the

Tokyo Imperial Palace The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...

. Several officials are present to witness the entire ceremony. The ceremony first starts with the Prime Minister nominee formally greeting the

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

upon entering the room. The Emperor greets back upon their approach and addresses that he or she is about to be appointed to office. The Prime Minister nominee acknowledges the Emperor by bowing and then turning to their side to receive their letter of appointment from the former Prime Minister (or the current Prime Minister in the case of the appointment of the Chief Justice) containing the Emperor's

Privy Seal A privy seal refers to the personal seal of a reigning monarch, used for the purpose of authenticating official documents of a much more personal nature. This is in contrast with that of a great seal, which is used for documents of greater impor ...

and signature. The Prime Minister nominee turns back to face the Emperor, bowing and receding, before making their way to the entrance and then bowing again before leaving the room. The Emperor then leaves the room followed by the other officials. For the appointment of the Prime Minister, both the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the

President of the House of Councillors The is the presiding officer of the House of Councillors of Japan, and together with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the President is also the head of the legislative branch of Japan. The President is elected by members of the Ho ...

are present. If the current Prime Minister is re-appointed, then a

Minister of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. I ...

(usually the

Deputy Prime Minister A deputy prime minister or vice prime minister is, in some countries, a government minister who can take the position of acting prime minister when the prime minister is temporarily absent. The position is often likened to that of a vice president, ...

) will take over the role as the former Prime Minister in the investiture ceremony. In practice, the Prime Minister is nominated by the Diet, while the Chief Justice is nominated by the Cabinet. The Emperor is required to appoint the nominated person, without the right to decline appointment. A similar ceremony called the is held for the appointment of the

Ministers of State Minister of State is a title borne by politicians in certain countries governed under a parliamentary system. In some countries a Minister of State is a Junior Minister of government, who is assigned to assist a specific Cabinet Minister. In o ...

, court judges and other officials. Although they are formally appointed by the Prime Minister, the Constitution stipulates that the ceremony must be attested by the Emperor.

References

External links

Official Website

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Video of the Investiture CeremonyVideo of the Attestation Ceremony
Japanese monarchy Government of Japan Ceremonies in Japan