Rice has been harvested at two sites in Japan to prepare for the Daijosai, or Great Thanksgiving Ceremony. The ceremony in November will be one of the key events to mark Emperor Naruhito's ascension to the throne.
The crop was harvested on Friday at two chosen paddies -- one in Tochigi Prefecture in the east and the other in Kyoto Prefecture in the west.
At the paddy in Kyoto, an Imperial envoy stepped inside a ceremonial site marked by straw festoons, and offered prayers inside a makeshift shrine.
The paddy's owner and other farmers then harvested the rice with sickles. They were dressed in traditional court attire of a black hat and white robe.
Bundles of the crop were placed on a stand and delivered to the ceremonial site, where the rice was checked and placed in storage. The ceremony ended in about one hour.
The Imperial Household Agency is to purchase 180 kilograms of polished rice and 7.5 kilograms of brown rice from the paddy.
At the Daijosai ceremony in mid-November, Emperor Naruhito will offer rice from the two paddies to his ancestors and deities, and taste some himself to pray for peace and abundant harvests.
The Emperor ascended the throne in May, following the abdication of his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito.
Source: ANNnewsCH
