President Maithripala Sirisena left for Japan this morning (21) to attend the Enthronement ceremony of His Majesty the Emperor Naruhito.

On an invitation extended by the Japanese Government, the President will join several world leaders for the ceremony tomorrow (22) at State Hall of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

Following the ceremony, the new Emperor will host a banquet for the Heads of State, the Secretary General of the United Nations, representatives of the European Union, Heads of each Foreign Mission in Tokyo and several other invitees.

The visiting dignitaries will join a banquet hosted by the Prime Minister of Japan Shinzō Abe on October 23rd.

After 30 years, the former Emperor Akihito abdicated the Chrysanthemum Throne on April 30th 2019 being the first Japanese emperor to do so since 1817. On May 1st 2019, His Imperial Highness the Crown Prince Naruhito acceded to the Throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan.

The Enthronement of the Emperor of Japan is an ancient ceremony that celebrates the accession of a new monarch to the Chrysanthemum Throne, the world’s oldest continuous hereditary monarchy.

An Imperial procession that had been scheduled for Tuesday following the enthronement ceremony was postponed by the Japanese government to November 10 to focus on recovery efforts in areas seriously affected by Typhoon Hagibis.