Emperor Naruhito ascended the Chrysanthemum Throne on Tuesday, proclaiming himself Japan’s 126th emperor as the audience shouted “banzai” to wish him a long and prosperous reign. “I hearby proclaim to inside and outside of the country that I have enthroned,” Naruhito said as he stood inside the Imperial Throne. AdvertisementThe throne, called Takamikura, is a 21-foot-high decorative structure resembling a gazebo or something at the Forbidden City in China. The enthronement ceremony is the high point of several succession rituals that began in May when Naruhito inherited the throne after the abdication of Akihito, his father. Naruhito is the 126th emperor in the world’s oldest hereditary monarchy that historians say goes back 1,500 years.

Source: Los Angeles Times October 22, 2019 06:11 UTC