Oct 09 (NHK) - The Japanese government has decided to conduct a set of ceremonies on November 8 to proclaim Crown Prince Akishino as the heir to the throne.
The government made the decision on Thursday. The ceremonies will be held on a reduced scale due to concerns about the coronavirus.
The Ceremonies for the Proclamation of the Crown Prince were initially scheduled for April 19, following the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito in May 2019. Crown Prince Akishino is the younger brother of the Emperor. The schedule was postponed indefinitely after the state of emergency over the coronavirus outbreak was declared in early April.
The number of guests to be invited to one of the main ceremonies will be reduced from 350 to around 50.
A state banquet for the occasion has already been canceled.
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide said the proclamation ceremonies will come at the very end of a series of succession ceremonies that started last year.
He said the government will take extra care in preventing the spread of the coronavirus during the events to ensure that the ceremonies will be held smoothly as a national celebration of the new era.
Source: ANNnewsCH
