The Imperial couple have fulfilled their strong wish to make a visit to Okinawa Prefecture once again ahead of the Emperor's abdication.
The Emperor and Empress visited the prefecture for the 11th time. This seems to be the Emperor's last visit while he is on the throne.
Shortly after arriving in the prefecture, the Emperor paid tribute to the victims of the Battle of Okinawa at the National War Dead Peace Mausoleum in Itoman. He expressed gratitude to those related to the cemetery for "having protected [the souls of] many people who died in the war."
About 94,000 residents of the prefecture are said to have lost their lives during World War II.
When he was the crown prince, the Emperor cited the June 23 end of the Battle of Okinawa as one of "the four dates that must not be forgotten by Japanese people" along with the anniversary of the end of World War II and the days when atomic bombs were dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki.
In his final years, Emperor Showa desired to visit the prefecture, but his wish was not realized due to illness. There must be an aspect of the current Emperor having inherited the desire of his late father. From the Emperor's actions, his determination to thoroughly stay close to the people of Okinawa, who have undergone a path of hardships, and to pray for peace can be seen.
The Imperial couple faced an incident in which radicals threw Molotov cocktails at the Himeyuri Cenotaph during their first visit to the prefecture in 1975. Nevertheless, the Emperor's feelings toward the prefecture remained unchanged.
In 1993, he visited the prefecture for the first time as Emperor and made a trip to the "Cornerstone of Peace" in 1995, the year marking the 50th anniversary of the war's end. In 2014, he offered flowers for the victims of the sinking of the Tsushima-maru evacuation ship, which was carrying schoolchildren.
Prepare ceremonies well
After the abdication, the Emperor is expected to lead a tranquil life. This visit, which would be one of the events in his last days on the throne, seemed to remain deep in his mind.
His stance to constantly show his desire for peace as a symbolic emperor in the postwar era must be taken over by the current crown prince.
The government is steadily making preparations for the Imperial succession. Its preparatory committee has decided on a basic policy concerning how to proceed with a series of ceremonies.
The Sokuirei Seiden no Gi ceremony, in which the new emperor will declare his enthronement to the people at home and abroad, is set to be held on Oct. 22, 2019. The Daijosai ceremony, in which the new emperor will pray for the country's peace, is scheduled to take place on Nov. 14-15 next year.
The series of ceremonies will basically follow the procedures taken for the Imperial succession in the current Heisei era. The Daijosai, which is seen as having a religious nature, will be held as an Imperial household event again, not as an act in matters of state. This can be said to be largely reasonable.
The government plans to set up a ceremonies committee this autumn to embark on concrete preparations. Issues remain such as how far the Kyoen no Gi ceremony, to which about 3,000 people were invited on the previous occasion, will be scaled down. It is hoped that the ceremonies will be held in a way widely accepted by the public.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, March 31, 2018)
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