Many Japanese people missed the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito since they are cleaning up after Hagibis. (Image via Mainichi.jp)

Hagibis Recovery: Many Japanese people miss Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony

On Tuesday, the Emperor of Japan, Emperor Naruhito, was officially and ceremonially enthroned as the new symbol of Japan, succeeding his father, Emperor Emeritus Akihito, the first Japanese emperor who abdicated the throne in recent two centuries.

Wearing the traditional robe in the presence of the Three Sacred Treasure (sword, jewel, and mirror), Emperor Naruhito stood in a Takamikura pavilion and pledged his oath as the Emperor of Japan.

Around 2,000 dignitaries from more than 170 countries and regions attended the enthronement ceremony. After the ceremony, Emperor Naruhito held a tea ceremony for the foreign dignitaries, while the Prime Minister of Japan, Shinzo Abe, held a banquet in the evening.

While the enthronement ceremony had taken place, many Japanese people could not enjoy the ceremony the same way. As Japan is recovering from the fierce typhoon no. 19, dubbed as Typhoon Hagibis, people are still cleaning up from the muddy mess. Even some are mourning due to their family members becoming the victims of the typhoon.

Busy cleaning up, many Japanese people admitted that they missed the show, especially those who reside in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Nagano, where Hagibis hit the hardest.

While cleaning up, they were longing to see the enthronement of the new Emperor who marked the beginning of the new Reiwa era. However, for them, recovery comes first, and in their hearts, they celebrated the enthronement.

People in the evacuation centers watched the live enthronement ceremony from the TVs. With tears streaming from their eyes, the Japanese people watched in gratitude and hoped that the enthronement would bring in a fresh hope and joy to the despair from Hagibis.

Fortunately, hope for the Japanese people to see their new Emperor and Empress might be realized. While the enthronement ceremony had taken place already, the parade has been delayed to 10 November to recover from Hagibis and the despair from its astronomical death toll.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-50120563