Japanese Court rituals are rituals performed by the

Emperor of Japan The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of ...

for the purpose of praying for the

nation A nation is a type of social organization where a collective Identity (social science), identity, a national identity, has emerged from a combination of shared features across a given population, such as language, history, ethnicity, culture, t ...

and its people's peace and prosperity. Rituals are held at the

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

and the

Three Palace Sanctuaries The are a group of structures in the precincts of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Japan. They are used in imperial religious ceremonies, including weddings and enthronements. The three sanctuaries are: * ''Kashiko-dokoro'' (賢所) – the centr ...

and include the 'Grand Service' in which the emperor himself performs the rituals and delivers the imperial proclamation, and the Minor Service in which the chief priests (shosokuji) and others perform the rituals and the emperor pays homage. The other is the Minor Festival in which the chief priests (shosoten-ji) conduct the ceremony and the emperor pays his respects.

History

Heian period

Since the establishment of the Ritsuryo system, the formalization of rituals has progressed, and is summarized in the

Engishiki The is a Japanese book of laws and customs. The major part of the writing was completed in 927. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Engi-shiki''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia'', p. 178. History Emperor Daigo ordered the compilation of the ''Engishi ...

. This is a list of various rituals, and does not take the form of a list of court rituals alone. Disasters such as disease, epidemic, earthquake, fire, and other natural disasters were thought to be caused by god's possession, and were compared to

Oni An ( ) is a kind of ''yōkai'', demon, orc, ogre, or troll in Japanese folklore. They are believed to live in caves or deep in the mountains or in hell. Oni are known for their superhuman strength and have been associated with powers like th ...

or feared as a god of plague. The divinities officer was in charge of the divinities rituals and was not under the jurisdiction of the Onmyodo dormitory. Various rituals are said to have been held, including the Plague God Festival, Chinka Festival, Wind God Festival, Great Purification, Miyagi Four Corners Plague God Festival, Fire Prevention Festival, and Hotarubetsu Festival.、 Onmyodo-do was developed in

sorcery Sorcery commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), the application of beliefs, rituals or actions employed to manipulate natural or supernatural beings and forces ** Goetia, ''Goetia'', magic involving the evocation of spirits ** Witchcraft, the ...

style based on the aristocratic society of the Heian period, and included Onmyodo elements in the Shinto rituals of the Ritsuryo system. The four corners of the capital were bounded (sacred and secular areas), and rituals were held at the four corners of the capital and the four corners of the Miyagi Castle to pray for the safety and peace of the world. The

Onmyōji was one of the official positions belonging to the of the Ministry of the Center under the ritsuryō system in ancient Japan, and was assigned as a technical officer in charge of divination and geomorphology based on the theory of the yin-an ...

persecution by

Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period, Sengoku and Azuchi-Momoyama periods and regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: ...

began, driving Onmyōji who made their living as prayers and

divination Divination () is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic ritual or practice. Using various methods throughout history, diviners ascertain their interpretations of how a should proceed by reading signs, ...

s to the provinces, and they quickly lost power, and people calling themselves Onmyōji, which was far greater than the number of official Onmyōji in Onmyō. Rituals at the palace took on a more Shinto coloring. ryō at the time, flowed throughout the country. During the

Sengoku era The was the period in Japanese history in which civil wars and social upheavals took place almost continuously in the 15th and 16th centuries. The Kyōtoku incident (1454), Ōnin War (1467), or (1493) are generally chosen as the period's start ...

Persecution, even the Tsuchimikado family lost many of their

Onmyōdō is a technique that uses knowledge of astronomy and calendars to divine good fortune in terms of date, time, direction and general personal affairs, originating from the philosophy of the yin-yang and the five elements. The philosophy of yin an ...

traditions and ritual implements. The

Altar An altar is a table or platform for the presentation of religion, religious offerings, for sacrifices, or for other ritualistic purposes. Altars are found at shrines, temples, Church (building), churches, and other places of worship. They are use ...

of the Taizanfukunsai, the most important "Great Law" of Onmyōdō, was also lost, and the ritual instruments were borrowed from the

Yoshida Shrine is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded in 859 by the Fujiwara clan. History The shrine became the object of Imperial patronage during the early Heian period. In 965, Emperor Murakami ordered that Imperial ...

in Kyoto for the ground-breaking ceremony of the Imperial Palace. This had a significant impact on the Rituals at the palace took on a more Shinto coloring.。On the other hand, Onmyodo path was authorized by the

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, and was converted to Shinto by Yasufuku Tsuchimikado as Tensha Shinto under the influence of Taruka Shinto.

Before modern times

As Emperor Juntoku of the

Kamakura period The is a period of History of Japan, Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the G ...

stated in "Shinto ritual " in "Shinto ritual", the emperor has given "Shinto ritual" the highest priority since Hagoku. Four-way worship is an event that has been handed down to successive emperors since before the Edo period. In the middle and late Edo period there was a growing theory of sonnō based on Mitogaku, and the revival of rituals such as the Niiname -no-Matsuri became popular.

From the Meiji era to the prewar period

Many of the rituals held today were reorganized during the Meiji Restoration, inheriting the Taiho Code, the Sadakan Ceremony, and the Engi Ceremony. Along with the deification of the emperor as the " current god " and the separation of Shinto and Buddhism, the rituals that had been cut off were reconstructed and new rituals were created. In 1871 ( Meiji 4), a Daijo-kan's decree stating that "a shrine is a national ritual" was issued, and in 1908, the imperial ritual decree stipulating the court ritual was enacted as one of the imperial decree. Rice cultivation is carried out in the rice fields in Miyagi, and after Emperor ShowaHe began to plant rice. The harvested rice is used as an offering during rituals.

Postwar

After the defeat of Japan in 1945 and under the postwar rule of the Allied Command, the

Imperial Household Agency The (IHA) is an agency of the government of Japan in charge of state matters concerning the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family, and the keeping of the Privy Seal of Japan, Privy Seal and State Seal of Japan. From around the 8th century ...

. The former

Imperial Household Law is a Japanese law that governs the line of imperial succession, the membership of the imperial family, and several other matters pertaining to the administration of the Imperial Household. In 2017, the National Diet changed the law to enable ...

, which had been separated from the national government, was abolished when the

Constitution of Japan The Constitution of Japan is the supreme law of Japan. Written primarily by American civilian officials during the occupation of Japan after World War II, it was adopted on 3 November 1946 and came into effect on 3 May 1947, succeeding the Meij ...

came into effect, and the fully revised

became a general law. In conjunction with this, the prewar Imperial Household Ordinances, such as the Imperial Rituals Ordinance, were all abolished at one time, but the Imperial Household Agency issued an internal circular confirming that "matters for which no new explicit provisions have been made shall be implemented in accordance with the former Imperial Household Ordinances.

Position under the Constitution of Japan

There is no explicit provision for court rituals in the

or its subordinate laws, and current court rituals are conducted in accordance with the Imperial Household Rituals Ordinance. The budget for this is also handled by the Imperial Household's internal expenses. For this reason, some constitutional scholars have interpreted postwar court rituals as "ceremonies performed privately by the emperor. The official website of the Imperial Household Agency explains the court ritual in the section "Public affairs of the Imperial Household Agency"。 In addition the

prime minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

and other heads of the three branches of government have been confirmed to attend some rituals, mainly the Grand Festival. Eisaku Sato attended most of the Spring Imperial Rei Festival and Spring Temple Festival, Autumn Imperial Rei Festival and Autumn Temple Festival, and the Shinmae Festival during his tenure as prime minister, and he also attended the NHK Special "The True Face of the Symbolic Emperors" (broadcast on 10 April 2009, a program commemorating the 50th anniversary of the marriage of the Emperor and Empress), showed footage of the then Prime Minister

Taro Aso Taro (; ''Colocasia esculenta'') is a root vegetable. It is the most widely cultivated species of several plants in the family Araceae that are used as vegetables for their corms, leaves, stems and petioles. Taro corms are a food staple in A ...

and other heads of the three powers attending the Spring Imperial Service and Spring Temple Service. Since the establishment of the court ritual as an institution, Emperor Meiji and Emperor Taisho were not very enthusiastic, and the chamberlains were the main worshipers. On the other hand, Empress Teimei, Emperor Showa, and Empress Kojun were very enthusiastic. It can be seen from the diary that Sukemasa Irie, who was a samurai servant in the latter half of his reign, promoted the simplification of rituals due to the aging of Emperor Showa in the 1965s and 1950s. Until 1986), he continued the parent festival of Niiname-no-Matsuri. The 125th Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko were also extremely enthusiastic about the ritual, and except for the darkness (in mourning) and illness, they worshiped most of the court rituals without making a substitute. Regarding rituals, in addition to calling Kiyosai and Heian shōzoku in advance, it is necessary to sit upright for a long time, and when the ritual approaches, Emperor Showa consciously sits upright for a long time, such as watching TV in the seiza. It is said that he was keeping that in mind. It was said that Akihito was practicing seiza as well as Emperor Showa when the time of the Niiname-no-Matsuri approached, but after 2009 ( Heisei 21), 20 years after his reign, consideration for the health of elderly Akihito. To reduce the burden, simplification and adjustment of rituals were planned and implemented.

Rituals

Those in bold are the major festivals. * 1 January – Shiho hai (worship in the four directions), Saidansai (New Year's Day Festival) * 3 January – New Year's Day Festival' (Genshi-Sai) * 4 January – Soujihajime (Beginning of the Preparation for the New Year) * 7 January – Emperor Showa Festival' * 30 January – Emperor Komei's Festival * 17 February – Kinnensai (Prayer Festival) * 23 February – Tencho Festival *

Vernal Equinox Day is a public holiday in Japan that occurs on the date of the Northward equinox in Japan Standard Time (the vernal equinox can occur on different dates in different time-zones), usually March 20 or 21. The date of the holiday is not officially ...

– Spring Kōreisai, Spring Temple Festival * 3 April – Jinmu-tennosai, Okinreidensai Gokagura * 16 June –

Empress Kōjun Nagako (6 March 190316 June 2000), posthumously honoured as Empress Kōjun, was a member of the Imperial House of Japan, the wife of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) and the mother of Emperor Emeritus Akihito. She was Empress of Japan from 1926 unti ...

annual festival (Kōjun Kōgoreisai) * 30 June – Yoori, Great Purification Ceremony * 30 July –

Emperor Meiji , posthumously honored as , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the List of emperors of Japan, traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ...

annual festival *

Autumnal Equinox Day is a public holiday in Japan that usually occurs on September 22 or 23, the date of Southward equinox in Japan Standard Time (autumnal equinox can occur on different dates for different time zones). Due to the necessity of recent astronomica ...

– Autumnal Equinox Festival, Autumn Temple Festival * 17 October – Kaname-sai, Kaname Festival * 23 November – ' Niname Festival (Niinamesai) * Mid-December – Kashikokoro Mikagura (Feast of the Shrine of the Goddess of Mercy) * 25 December – Taisho-tenno-sai (Emperor Taisho's Festival) * 31 December – Setsubori, Grand Purification

Difference from the imperial ritual decree

* 11 February – Abolition of Kigen-setsu-sai. ** However, even after the abolition, the same rituals are still held as 'Temporary Gyohai'. * The name was changed from Tencho-setsu festival to Tencho-sai. * The Shiho-gyohyo, Kanade-jikki-hajime, Imperial Rei-den Gokagura, Setsue-ori, and Taisho (purification) are neither major nor minor festivals.

Dress

Attendants are required to wear

Morning coat A tailcoat is a knee-length coat characterised by a rear section of the skirt (known as the ''tails''), with the front of the skirt cut away. The tailcoat shares its historical origins in clothes cut for convenient horse-riding in the Early ...

and Afternoon dress in western style, and white-necked montsuki or similar in Japanese style. During the winter,

cloak A cloak is a type of loose garment worn over clothing, mostly but not always as outerwear for outdoor wear, which serves the same purpose as an overcoat and protects the wearer from the weather. It may form part of a uniform. People in many d ...

s may be worn.

Ritual ceremonies of the imperial family

Ritual Ceremonies of the Imperial Palace describes various

Rituals A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

related to the

Emperor The word ''emperor'' (from , via ) can mean the male ruler of an empire. ''Empress'', the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife (empress consort), mother/grandmother (empress dowager/grand empress dowager), or a woman who rules ...

(the

and the Imperial Family). Of these, ceremonies related to the Emperor can be divided into two categories: national acts as stipulated in Article 7 of the Japanese Constitution, and official acts that do not fall under this category.

Pregnancy-Birth

Gochaku obi

A ceremony held on the day of the dog, the ninth month of pregnancy, for female members of the Imperial Family who have conceived a child, to pray for a safe delivery. In the case of

Empress Masako is Empress of Japan as the wife of Emperor Naruhito. Born in Tokyo, Masako was educated at Belmont High School in Massachusetts before attending Harvard College, earning a B.A., ''magna cum laude'', in economics. She also studied law at t ...

, the Emperor presented her with a red and white silk sash, which was then delivered to the expectant female royal family member by a palace official sent by the sash's parent, followed by a Gochaku Shinken no Gi. The sash is then taken to the

by the head priest for substitute worship on behalf of the couple. The obi is offered to the temple at the end of each of the three halls, and a prayer of congratulations is said. This series of ceremonies is called ''Kashikokoro Kourei-den Shin-den ni Chakutai Hokoku no Gi''. After the ceremony, the sash is delivered again by the attendant, and the crown prince in his morning clothes ties the sash on the queen, who is dressed in daily daily daily cloth and

Hakama are a type of traditional Japanese clothing. Originally stemming from Ku (), the trousers worn by members of the Chinese imperial court in the Sui and Tang dynasties, this style was adopted by the Japanese in the form of in the 6th c ...

, with the help of the attendant. In addition, in the fifth month of pregnancy, an ''internal dressing'' is performed. But it is not a formal ceremony. In the case of the Crown Princess, she wears a very light indigo daily cloth and a bright scarlet

, and the Chief of the Household of the Crown Prince carries the Obi presented by the Empress into the room. The Crown Prince, dressed in a morning gown and led by a maid of honor, enters, and the couple sits in chairs facing each other. The maid of honor places the obi over the queen's hakama and makes a loose bow knot in front, which the queen herself ties. After the couple leaves and the ceremony is complete, a member of the Togu staff dressed in formal mourning attire says a few words of congratulations, and then the Director General of the Imperial Household Agency delivers the "Onshukushi. The couple will have lunch at the Imperial Palace in the afternoon and report to the Emperor and Empress.

Gifted Sword Ceremony

A ceremony in which a child is born into the imperial family and the emperor gives the child a guardian sword for the purpose of protecting the child in the hope that the child will grow up healthy. The kotatana is wrapped in red brocade with a white wooden scabbard and placed in a paulownia box with the Emperor's crest, and entrusted to a messenger (imperial envoy) who receives the Emperor's wishes at the palace. In modern times, the Imperial Sword is subject to the Muzzle Act.

Ritual of Spore Burial

A jar containing

Placenta The placenta (: placentas or placentae) is a temporary embryonic and later fetal organ that begins developing from the blastocyst shortly after implantation. It plays critical roles in facilitating nutrient, gas, and waste exchange between ...

s is buried in the ground. This was done at least until the birth of Takako Kiyomiya.

Bathing ceremony

This ceremony is held on the seventh day following the child's birth. The room is divided into two parts, and in one part, a maid gives the child a bath. In the other room, a tokusho yaku wearing a robe and cape recites a classical text (usually from the

Nihon Shoki The or , sometimes translated as ''The Chronicles of Japan'', is the second-oldest book of classical Japanese history. It is more elaborate and detailed than the , the oldest, and has proven to be an important tool for historians and archaeol ...

), while a meigen yaku draws a bowstring with a shout. Depending on the situation, the bathing may only be imitated.

Naming Ceremony

This ceremony is held on the seventh day of the child's birth. The name of the child is written with a brush on a piece of Odakadan-gami paper, and a piece of Japanese paper on which the child's personal seal is written is placed in a paulownia box and placed at the child's bedside. The day after this ceremony, the child's name is recorded in the Imperial Records as an official member of the Imperial Family. This is the "Oshichiya" in general.

Sanden Hokokunogi

At the same time and day as the naming ceremony, a worshiper informs Miyanaka Sanden of the birth and naming of a child of the Imperial Family.

Rite of visiting the Palace Sanctuaries (kashikodokoro-koureiden-shinden ni essuru no gi)

This is a Shinto ceremony in which a newborn child of the Imperial Family, joined by his or her parents, makes the first visit to the

, starting at the Kashikodokoro, then the Koureiden, and lastly the Shinden, for the first time on the 50th day after birth. This is similar to Miyamairi, a traditional

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

rite of passage A rite of passage is a ceremony or ritual of the passage which occurs when an individual leaves one group to enter another. It involves a significant change of social status, status in society. In cultural anthropology the term is the Anglicisa ...

in Japan for newborns.

The Ceremony of the First Chopsticks

This is a ritual in which red bean porridge is prepared in a new bowl or chopsticks and fed to the child on the 100th–120th day after birth, in hopes that the child will grow up healthy. In reality, however, it is only an imitation of eating. This is called "Okitsuke" in general.

Growth

The ceremony of wearing hakama

When a child is five years old, he or she wears the hakama that was given to him or her during the ceremony of the Presentation of the Sword.1970年10月19日朝日新聞「礼宮さまが"着袴の儀"」 Boys wear white silk hakama on top of "Ochitakizu no Gofuku", a kimono decorated with a waterfall design, while girls wear dark reddish-purple kosode and hakama of the same color.

Fukasogi no Gi

The ceremony is held following the Kimono Ceremony. In addition to the kimono and hakama worn in the ceremony, a child's kimono is worn in a separate room. The child stands on the board with a pine tree and a small branch of mountain tachibana, and after cutting the child's hair a little, the child jumps down with a shout.。 : Originally, the ceremony was independent of the Kimono ceremony, but by the early modern period, it was performed simultaneously. The ceremony was held for the first time in 41 years, after 1970 for Fumihito Reimiya, and in 2011 for

His Imperial Highness Imperial Highness is a form of address used for members of an imperial family. It denotes ''imperial'' – as opposed to ''royal'' – status to show that the holder in question is descended from an emperor rather than a king (compare Roya ...

. This was the first time in 41 years. This is the first time in 41 years that the Fukasogi Ritual has been performed for the female members of the Imperial Family (the four Inner Princes and five Queens), so at least in the modern era, it is a ceremony performed only for the male members of the Imperial Family. After the completion of the Ceremony of the Hakama and the Fukasogi Ritual, the three halls of the Imperial Palace are visited.

Adulthood Ceremony

The

states that the age of majority for the Emperor, Crown Prince, and Grandchildren is 18 (Article 22). In the

, the age of majority for the Emperor, Crown Prince, and Grandchildren is 18 (Article 22), and there are no age regulations for other members of the Imperial Family. However, according to the

Civil code A civil code is a codification of private law relating to property law, property, family law, family, and law of obligations, obligations. A jurisdiction that has a civil code generally also has a code of civil procedure. In some jurisdiction ...

, the ceremony is held when the person turns 20.

The Rite of Crowning

:: At the home of a male member of the Imperial Family who has reached the age of majority, the male member of the Imperial Family receives a crown from a messenger sent by the Emperor.

Crowning Ceremony

:: A male member of the Imperial Family who has reached the age of majority wears a white silk hakama over Keteki-no-hou, the costume of a minor, and holds a

Scepter A sceptre (or scepter in American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia, signifying sovereign authority. Antiquity Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia The '' Was'' and other ...

in his hand. On his head, he wears a kuuchi kokusaku, the headgear of a minor, and is led by a leader into the hall of the

where the Emperor, Empress, and attendees are waiting. The crowning officer then removes the black belt and puts on a crown with a swallow-tailed tail, attaches a hanging cord to the crown, ties it at the chin, and cuts off both ends of the cord. The crown is then tied at the chin, and the ends of the cord are cut off. Then, a male member of the Imperial Family who has reached the age of majority steps before the Emperor and Empress to express his gratitude and resolve. The ceremony ends with a word of thanks to his parents as well. :: After this, the adult male members of the Imperial Family change into their adult attire of Sueki-no-Hao and a crown with a hanging tail, and visit the three halls of the palace.

Asami no Ritual

:: A ceremony in which a person meets the Emperor and Empress for the first time after reaching the age of majority. The ceremony is held in Western attire. The ceremony ends with the sipping of the nine-year-old wine in turn and the eating of the ritual food with chopsticks. :: After this,

Orders, decorations, and medals of Japan The Japanese honours system is a system implemented for rewarding awards to Japanese and non-Japanese persons for their achievements and service to Japan. The Emperor is the head of the honors system in Japan. Established during the 1870s ...

are given according to rank, and the coming-of-age ceremony ends. A short time after the ceremony, people visit mausoleums and shrines to report on their coming of age.

Marriage

Emperor_Naruhito_and_Empress_Masako_in_formal_wedding_robes

The emperor's marriage is called a big wedding in the old Imperial Family Order, but as of 2019, it has never taken place, as no one has married since 1910, when this was established, after he ascended the throne.

"Nousai-no-gi"

This is a ceremony to mark the end of a marriage.。The male side does it to the female side.

Rite of bestowal of medals and swords

This is a rite of bestowing medals and swords. This ceremony takes place after the Rite of Acceptance.

Kokki-no-gi

: A messenger from the emperor's side informs the woman's side of the marriage date.

Ritual of gift-writing

: A ceremony in which engaged couples present each other with waka poems on the day before marriage.

Judai no Gi

: On the day of the marriage ceremony, a messenger is sent to the woman's side to welcome her.

The marriage ceremony

The Wedding is a ceremony in which a man and a woman pay their respects to the wise men in the three halls of the palace. It is also known as a

wedding ceremony A wedding is a ceremony in which two people are united in marriage. Wedding traditions and customs vary greatly between cultures, ethnicities, races, religions, denominations, countries, social classes, and sexual orientations. Most wed ...

in general. For more information, see Crown Prince Tokujin and Masako Owada's Marriage Ritual.

Kashikokoro Koreiden Shinden ni Etsuru no Gi

: Female members of the Imperial Family who are to leave the Imperial Family through marriage do not perform the marriage ceremony in the Imperial Palace, but rather worship at the three halls of the Imperial Palace dressed in Kouchiki clothing and report to their ancestors and the gods that they are getting married.Noriko's "Asami-no-gigi" before her marriage, blessed by Their Majesties
(2 October 2014), Sankei News, viewed on 12 March 2016. The ceremony is not accompanied by the man to be married.

Chouken-no-gi

: A ceremony in which two people meet the Emperor and Empress for the first time as husband and wife. The men and women of the imperial family express their gratitude and aspirations to the emperor, and after receiving his blessing, they sip nine-year-old sake in turn and exchange a cup to solidify their relationship, chopsticks up on the ceremonial food, and ends. : The surrendering female members of the Imperial Family meet the Emperor and Empress alone and are similarly blessed, but it is a farewell cup,熟成古酒の歴史
長期熟成酒研究会, accessed 12 March 2016. and subsequent Weddings and other events are held outside the imperial family. : Nine-year-old sake was originally made with

Sake Sake, , or saki, also referred to as Japanese rice wine, is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and indeed any East Asi ...

, which had been aged for nine years and turned amber, but after the Meiji era, aged old sake was eliminated and the juice of black beans boiled with sake and

Mirin is a type of rice wine and a common ingredient in Japanese cuisine, Japanese cooking. It is similar to sake but with a lower alcohol (drug), alcohol content and higher sugar content. The sugar content is a complex carbohydrate that forms natur ...

was boiled down.

Kuzen-no-gi

This ceremony is held at home after the couple has returned home. Before the ceremonial meal, the queen and the royal family men, in that order, sip sake and share a cup to seal the marriage. After that, the ritual meal is served with chopsticks, and the ceremony ends.

Mikayo no Mochi no Gi

The Mikayo-no-Mochi-no-Gi is held in the bedroom to pray for the prosperity of one's descendants. Each of the four silver plates (three plates for non-Emperor and Crown Prince) is filled with the number of rice cakes (about the size of a Go stone) of the Queen's age, and the couple eats one from each plate. The rice cakes and plates are placed in an ebony box with mother-of-pearl inlays of

Barn swallow The barn swallow (''Hirundo rustica'') is the most widespread species of swallow in the world, occurring on all continents, with vagrants reported even in Antarctica. It is a distinctive passerine bird with blue upperparts and a long, deeply f ...

s and displayed in the bedroom for three days, and on the fourth day, they are buried in a direction that brings good luck.

On the fourth day, it is buried in an auspicious direction.

The

Wedding reception A wedding reception is a party usually held after the completion of a marriage ceremony as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple ''receive'' society, in the form of family and friends, for th ...

is a feast held over several days. A

wedding reception A wedding reception is a party usually held after the completion of a marriage ceremony as hospitality for those who have attended the wedding, hence the name reception: the couple ''receive'' society, in the form of family and friends, for th ...

in general.

The Rite of Audience at the Shrine

Wedding reception

The couple reports their marriage to the

Ise Grand Shrine The , located in Ise, Mie Prefecture of Japan, is a Shinto shrine dedicated to the solar goddess Amaterasu Ōmikami and the grain goddess Toyouke-hime (Toyouke Omikami). Also known simply as , Ise Shrine is a shrine complex composed of many Shi ...

in Ise,

Mie Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region of Honshu. Mie Prefecture has a population of 1,781,948 () and has a geographic area of . Mie Prefecture is bordered by Gifu Prefecture to the north, Shiga Prefecture an ...

Enthronement

The Rite of Succession of the Sword and Seal

File:"Inheritance Ceremony of Kenji and others.jpg, Succession Ceremony of the Sword and Seal of the 125th Emperor

Akihito Akihito (born 23 December 1933) is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 1989 until 2019 Japanese imperial transition, his abdication in 2019. The era of his rule was named the Heisei era, Hei ...

. : Acts of State.

The Ceremony of the Sword and Seal Crossing

The first day of the ceremony was the first day of the Kensho. In other words, at the same time as the First Day of the Sages' Palace Ritual, each male member of the Imperial Family, each

Minister of State Minister of state is a designation for a government minister, with varying meanings in different jurisdictions. In a number of European countries, the title is given as an honorific conferring a higher rank, often bestowed upon senior minister ...

, the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Speaker of the House of Councillors, and

Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

. The Emperor wears his normal dress and is preceded by the Chief of Ceremonies and the Director General of the Imperial Household Agency (Minister of the Imperial Household).

Rites of Asami after Accession

This is an act of state. The new emperor makes a statement for the first time (under the old Imperial Household Law, this was called the "Asami Ceremony after Accession to the Throne". (Under the old Imperial Household Law, it was called the "Post-Joining Ceremony.) The ceremony is held in the main hall (Matsunoma) of the palace, with the emperor in formal attire and the empress in robe décolleté (middle-grade formal attire). For the first time since the accession to the throne, the emperor gives a morning visit to his subjects and presents them with the imperial message. This is followed by the Prime Minister's address (renamed the "Address of the People's Representative" in the 2019 Post-Accession Asami Ceremony).

The Rite of Dedication to the Sages

The first day's ceremony was held immediately after the accession.

The first day's ritual is held immediately after the accession to the throne, and the chief priest performs the

Norito are liturgical texts or ritual incantations in Shinto, usually addressed to a given ''kami''. History The first written documentation of ''norito'' dates to 712 CE in the ''Kojiki'' and 720 CE in the ''Nihongi''. The Engishiki, a compilation ...

at the

and the Sages' Palace. The rituals of the second and third days are similar, but the ritual of the Imperial Bell and the performance of the Imperial Confession are not performed.

The ceremony of vassalage

The ceremony of descent to the vassalage before the Emperor, Empress and Dowager Empress. : The imperial family members who are to descend to the vassalage attend the imperial palace and make their speeches before the Emperor and Empress, receiving the imperial message from the Emperor and the I-sensei from the Empress. The emperor and empress then present the imperial message and the I-i, respectively.

Bibliography

* 高橋紘『象徴天皇』（岩波新書、1987年） * 原武史『昭和天皇』（岩波新書、2008年） * 八木秀次「宮中祭祀廃止論に反駁する｣（｢正論｣、2008年6月5日付�

* NHKスペシャル「象徴天皇素顔の記録」（

NHK , also known by its Romanization of Japanese, romanized initialism NHK, is a Japanese public broadcasting, public broadcaster. It is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television licence, television license fee. NHK ope ...

、2009年4月10日放送、のちDVD） * * * * * *

References

Works cited

* *
昭和天皇の崩御に伴う主な儀式・行事一覧

天皇陛下の即位に伴う主な儀式・行事一覧

External links

宮内庁公式ページの宮中祭祀についての説明 * 平田久編『宮中儀式略』民友社、1904年。{{in lang, ja
鎌田純一『皇室祭祀と建国の心』

原武史・保阪正康「宮中祭祀というブラックボックス」
��講談社「MouRa」HP） * 天皇陛下宮中祭祀 – NHK放送史 Shinto festivals Japanese Imperial Rituals Pages with unreviewed translations