Japan’s new emperor finishes the last major accession rite, but critics say it recalls the country’s militaristic past
TOKYO - In the chill pre-dawn hours of Friday, Japan’s Emperor Naruhito emerged from a shrine compound where he had spent a symbolic night with the sun goddess from whom conservatives believe his family descends, completing the rituals of his accession.
“This ritual is basically a feast involving the sun goddess and the emperor,” said John Breen, a professor at Kyoto’s International Research Center for Japanese Studies, who added that most coronations have mystical elements.Observance of the ritual has prompted lawsuits from critics ranging from communists to Christians, who say it smacks of the militaristic past and violates the constitutional separation of church and state, as the government pays the cost of 2.7 billion yen .
Japan's Emperor Naruhito walks to Yukiden to attend 'Daijosai', the most overtly religious ceremony of the emperor's accession rituals, at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, Japan, November 14, 2019, in this photo released by Kyodo. Mandatory credit Kyodo/via REUTERS
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