October 10, 2019
Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Koike Akira on October 9 at a press conference in the Diet building said that the party will not attend a chain of ceremonies associated with the accession of a new Emperor (Tenno).
Ceremonies that will performed in celebration of Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the throne are: “Sokuirei-Seiden-no-gi (the enthronement ceremony)” in which the Emperor proclaims the enthronement and receives felicitations from representatives from home and abroad; and “Kyoen-no-gi (court banquets)” which will be held after the enthronement ceremony to celebrate the enthronement and receive the congratulations of the guests. These events are scheduled to take place between October 22 and 31.
Koike pointed out that the Abe government in April 2018 issued the Cabinet decision which states that these ceremonies will be carried out in line with regulations set by the prewar imperial family law based on the state-sponsored Shintoism as specified in the Meiji Constitution.
Koike said that in the “Sokuirei-Seiden-no-gi” ceremony, the Emperor will announce his enthronement before foreign and domestic leaders and representatives by using an item symbolizing the God-given position of the Tenno.
Explaining the reason why the JCP will be absent from the ceremonies, Koike said that the party has opposed the government intent to follow the prewar imperial family law to perform ceremonies celebrating Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the throne as it goes against the postwar Constitution’s principles of popular sovereignty and the separation of religion and politics.
Past related article:
> JCP Koike: Legislation for Emperor’s abdication should be established based on Constitution [March 18, 2017]
Ceremonies that will performed in celebration of Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the throne are: “Sokuirei-Seiden-no-gi (the enthronement ceremony)” in which the Emperor proclaims the enthronement and receives felicitations from representatives from home and abroad; and “Kyoen-no-gi (court banquets)” which will be held after the enthronement ceremony to celebrate the enthronement and receive the congratulations of the guests. These events are scheduled to take place between October 22 and 31.
Koike pointed out that the Abe government in April 2018 issued the Cabinet decision which states that these ceremonies will be carried out in line with regulations set by the prewar imperial family law based on the state-sponsored Shintoism as specified in the Meiji Constitution.
Koike said that in the “Sokuirei-Seiden-no-gi” ceremony, the Emperor will announce his enthronement before foreign and domestic leaders and representatives by using an item symbolizing the God-given position of the Tenno.
Explaining the reason why the JCP will be absent from the ceremonies, Koike said that the party has opposed the government intent to follow the prewar imperial family law to perform ceremonies celebrating Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the throne as it goes against the postwar Constitution’s principles of popular sovereignty and the separation of religion and politics.
Past related article:
> JCP Koike: Legislation for Emperor’s abdication should be established based on Constitution [March 18, 2017]