Society

Princess Ayako to marry on Oct 29 in traditional ceremony

Sep 20 (Japan Today) - The date of the wedding between Princess Ayako, the youngest daughter of Emperor Akihito's late cousin, and commoner Kei Moriya was officially set for Oct 29 in a traditional ceremony held Wednesday.

In the "Kokki no Gi" rite held at the Takamado residence in Tokyo, a relative of Moriya acting as his messenger announced the date to Princess Ayako in the presence of her mother Princess Hisako. It was one of a string of traditional rites preceding their marriage.

"I gratefully accept," the 28-year-old princess told 76-year-old Tatsuya Kondo, a former head of the Center Hospital of the National Center for Global Health and Medicine, according to the Imperial Household Agency.

The wedding between Princess Ayako and Moriya, 32, will take place at Tokyo's Meiji Shrine and will be attended by imperial family members including Princess Hisako, the widow of the late Prince Takamado, and Princess Tsuguko, the eldest sister of the bride.

The day after the nuptials, a banquet to be attended by Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako as well as the heads of the three branches of government will be held at Hotel New Otani in Tokyo.

According to the agency, the princess and her fiance are busy preparing for a series of ceremonies and their life at a new residence after their marriage. They currently do not plan to make a honeymoon trip.

Do Bears Prefer Acorns or Berries?

Bear sightings across Japan have already climbed to nearly twice the level recorded during the same period last year, prompting entry bans in mountain areas behind Kyoto’s Ninna-ji Temple and the cancellation of hiking events in Kansai, while new research suggests that the key to reducing encounters may lie in understanding what bears eat in each region.

Copper Thieves Target Japanese Shrines

Copper roofing panels were stolen from several shrines in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture, including a city-designated cultural property, in the latest case amid a nationwide surge in copper thefts targeting shrines and temples across Japan, where soaring metal prices have fueled crimes that leave historic religious buildings damaged, exposed to the elements, and facing repair costs of millions of yen.

1200-Year-Old Temple on Miyajima Reduced to Ashes

Flames broke out on the morning of May 20th on Miyajima Island in Hiroshima Prefecture, home to one of Japan's World Heritage sites, destroying Reikado Hall near the summit of Mount Misen.

From Bento Boxes to Garbage Bags, Rising Costs Hitting Daily Life Across Japan

Uncertainty surrounding the situation in the Middle East is beginning to affect daily life in Japan, as concerns over crude oil supplies spread to restaurants, cleaning services and even household garbage disposal systems across the Kansai region.

Tochigi Robbery-Murder Suspect’s Wife Posted Dance Videos on Social Media

A 25-year-old woman arrested as a suspected ringleader in a robbery-murder case in Tochigi Prefecture once posted cheerful dance videos on social media and was remembered by those who knew her as an energetic and outgoing young woman.

MEDIA CHANNELS

MORE Society NEWS

Garbage Burnoff Spreads to 3 Buildings in Okayama

A fire that broke out in Kagamino, Okayama Prefecture, shortly after noon on May 20th destroyed three buildings, including a home, after flames from open burning spread to dead leaves and then to nearby structures.

Gang Members Arrested After Opening Office Near Nursery

Six people, including a senior member of a group affiliated with the Sumiyoshi-kai crime syndicate's Kohei-ikka faction, have been arrested on suspicion of opening a gang office in a prohibited area near a nursery school in Tokyo's Itabashi Ward.

Six Police Officers Injured After Man Sprays Liquid at Station

A man who visited a police station in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, in the early hours of May 21st allegedly sprayed a transparent liquid inside the building, causing six police officers to complain of eye and throat pain and be taken to hospital with minor injuries.