By Our Reporter
Japan’s newly crowned emperor and empress were yesterday cheered by tens of thousands of spectators during an imperial parade through the heart of Tokyo.
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako waved to the crowds from the back of their open-top Toyota Century limousine during the 30-minute parade.
The imperial couple’s car was part of a 400-meter long motorcade consisting of 46 vehicles, which carried a number of dignitaries including Crown Prince Akishino, Crown Princess Kiko and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The parade was originally due to take place on October 22, the same day as the official enthronement ceremony which was attended by dignitaries and royalty from around 190 countries.
The event nevertheless had to be postponed as Japan grappled with the aftermath of Typhoon Hagibis, which left nearly 90 people dead.
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The Japanese government estimated that 119,000 people attended the parade yesterday which stretched 2.6 miles, according to the public broadcaster NHK. Spectators stood rows deep and waved Japanese flags as they watched the parade progress along the streets of the capital.
“To witness this historical moment with my own eyes and to see the smile of the emperor and empress. I wanted to be in the front,” Hiyori Okazaki, a spectator, told Reuters.
Toshiko Ito, who visited the capital with her husband, added: “Emotion welled up and I was so happy that I was about to cry.”
Emperor Naruhito wore a tailcoat during the parade. Empress Masako donned a white dress and tiara, which glistened in the sunlight.
The parade was one of the final official events marking Emperor Naruhito’s accession to throne, which officially took place in May after his father, Emperor Akihito, abdicated following three decades at the helm. He became the first Japanese monarch to abdicate in two centuries.
Emperor Naruhito’s official enthronement ceremony took place in October, in a centuries-old ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.
In an elaborate series of rituals known as “Sokui no Rei,” purple curtains were pulled back to reveal Naruhito and his wife sitting on two ornately decorated thrones.
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