Clad in a dark orange robe only worn by emperors on special occasions, Japanese Emperor Naruhito will proclaim his enthronement on Tuesday at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace, offering a speech from a canopied throne followed by banzai cheers from guests from home and abroad.

The 59-year-old monarch – who ascended the throne on May 1 following the abdication of his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, the previous day – will formally announce his enthronement from an elevated dais within the palace in Tokyo before some 2,000 guests from Japan and more than 170 countries and international organisations in adjoining hallways.

The Sokuirei Seiden no Gi enthronement ceremony at the Seiden State Hall will begin in the Pine Chamber stateroom, with the emperor ascending to the 6.5-metre-high canopied throne. Empress Masako will be seated on the adjacent michodai throne during the ceremony.

Under the current plan, ceremonial officials carrying swords and bows, together with drum and gong players, will line up outside in the courtyard, which is to be decorated with colourful flags and spears.

But in the event of bad weather, the officials may have to move inside to the hallways while the flags, of varying sizes, may be removed altogether. A high chance of rain has been forecast for Tokyo on Tuesday.

The clothing to be donned by the ceremonial officials and the objects they hold are vulnerable to rain, while the flags may fly away in strong winds.

The agency is, therefore, considering reducing the number of officials and moving them indoors. The decision will be made on Tuesday morning, but an agency official said it will be “quite difficult” to judge what extent of rain and winds would require changes to be made.

As the curtains of the takamikura imperial throne open, the emperor will stand and deliver a speech. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will then convey congratulations from the floor of the stateroom and lead the guests in three banzai cheers wishing for the longevity of the emperor.

The Imperial House Law only states that an enthronement ceremony is held when an imperial succession takes place and does not detail how to stage the rite.

The previous rite, held in November 1990 for Emperor Akihito, followed the example of the enthronement ceremony of his father, Emperor Hirohito, posthumously known as Emperor Showa. It was based on Tokyokurei, a 1909 order on the formalities of the ceremony, although the directive was abolished after World War II.

The government has decided to follow precedent despite criticism that doing so contravenes the post-war constitutional separation of state and religion as well as the sovereignty of the people, as the emperor proclaims his enthronement from a high place as the prime minister stands below.

Emperor Emeritus Akihito, the first Japanese emperor to relinquish the throne in about two centuries, and Empress Emerita Michiko are not expected to attend the ceremony.

According to the Foreign Ministry, a total of 174 foreign countries will be represented at the ceremony, up from the 160 represented at the previous enthronement ritual in 1990.

Foreign guests include Dutch King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, King Philippe of Belgium, King Felipe VI of Spain, as well as Prince Charles of Britain and King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuk of Bhutan, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and US transportation secretary Elaine Chao.

The imperial couple were originally scheduled to appear in a parade following the ceremony, but the event was postponed until November 10 in the aftermath of a deadly typhoon last weekend.

They will ride in a convertible along the approximately 5km route from the Imperial Palace to the Akasaka Estate in Tokyo.

THE JAPAN NEWS/ANN