Looking back at his long reign over the last 30 years, the Japanese people must certainly have deepened their respect and affection for the Emperor.
The Emperor and Empress took part in a ceremony to mark the 30th anniversary of his accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne.
"Supported by the people's strong will to pursue peace, Japan has come through the 30 years of the Heisei era, free of war for the first time in modern history," the Emperor said. We should appreciate the importance of peace together with him.
A type of Okinawan song commonly called ryuka that the Emperor wrote the lyrics for himself was presented during the ceremony. The lyrics are based on his experience of being welcomed by the people at a Hansen's disease sanatorium in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture. He was then crown prince.
The lyrics are based on a song called "Danjokareyoshi," meaning "there's something to celebrate," that people sing when seeing off boats. The Emperor described what he felt when the residents of the institution sang in chorus for him.
The Imperial family has long been sympathetic to sufferers of Hansen's disease. It may even date back to the Nara period (710-784). The Emperor stays close to the people, taking many years of history into account. His song represents his kind awareness.
The Emperor has embodied his image of being the "symbol of the state" by visiting disaster-affected areas, praying for national tranquility. It must be this attitude that has made the majority of people support the current Imperial family.
Wise to divide ceremonies
Suggesting how difficult the road is for an emperor to fulfill the symbolic role stipulated by the Constitution, the Emperor expressed his wish for his successors "to continue to build up the image of being a symbol."
Crown Prince Naruhito will accede to the throne in two months. He celebrated his 59th birthday last Saturday. Referring to his willingness to stay close to the people, the crown prince said at a press conference that "promoting international goodwill and taking part in it is one of the important official duties of the Imperial family."
We are confident that he will bring in a new breeze while retaining the image of the symbol of the state from the Heisei era.
The government has decided on the outline of ceremonies related to the Emperor's abdication and the crown prince's accession to the throne. This will be the first case of abdication under a constitutional government. It must be carried out without a hitch.
It is crucial to maintain consistency between the Constitution and the performance of the Imperial family's traditional rituals. The government divided the two ceremonies -- the Taiirei Seiden no Gi abdication ceremony and the Kenji to Shokei no Gi -- to avoid the Emperor giving the impression that he directly passed to the crown prince sacred objects including the comma-shaped jewel called magatama and a sword that validates the throne.
The government decided to exclude any element of the Emperor personally relinquishing power in keeping with the Constitution's denial of any political function for emperors. This is a rational decision.
The name of the new era will be decided on April 1, a month before it will actually be changed. The name will be publicly declared immediately, following the procedure when the name of Heisei was chosen.
We ask the government to take every possible measure to keep the people from encountering any extra confusion.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Feb. 25, 2019)
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