The government has decided to drastically cut the number of guests invited to Imperial ceremonies proclaiming Crown Prince Akishino as the first heir in line to the throne to be held next month, as well as canceling celebratory banquets as steps to prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.
The committee for state ceremonies on Imperial succession, chaired by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, met Wednesday at the Prime Minister's Office to discuss the ceremonies and court banquets, to which VIPs and other notables from both home and abroad have been invited.
"In line with dining in a limited space, the guests would have to hold conversations in close proximity to each other," Abe said. "It is very regrettable, but we are compelled to cancel the [banquets]."
The ascension ceremonies consist of the Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-Gi (Ceremony for Proclamation of Crown Prince), in which the Emperor publicly declares Crown Prince Akishino's status as the first heir to the throne, followed by the Choken-no-Gi (First Audience), in which the Crown Prince greets the Emperor, and then the Kyoen-no-Gi (Court Banquet after the Ceremony of the Enthronement).
The Kyoen-no-Gi was to be held twice on April 21 in a buffet style for about 30 minutes each, with a total of about 730 invited guests.
The Rikkoshi-Senmei-no-Gi will be held as planned on April 19 in the Matsu-no-Ma state room of the Imperial Palace, starting at 11 a.m. and lasting about 15 minutes. But the number of invitees will be drastically reduced from an original guest list of about 350 to only about 50, and those showing symptoms of a cold or fever will be asked to refrain from attending.
The Choken-no-Gi will also go on as planned on the same day in the Matsu-no-Ma room. It will start at 4:30 p.m. and last about 30 minutes, with only Imperial family members and officials in attendance.
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