The Japanese Imperial Household Agency has announced the return of a significant traditional celebration after being suspended for three years.
It was revealed that the Imperial Palace will reopen on the 23rd of February to allow the public to come together to celebrate the Emperor’s birthday.
The traditional ceremony will return to mark the Emperor’s birthday in 2023 after being cancelled in 2020, 2021 and 2022 due to health safety restriction measures.
However, the 2023 event will not be back to pre-pandemic standards, as the Agency announced that numbers will be limited.
The Emperor and other members of his family will appear on the Imperial Palace’s balcony a total of three times to greet the crowds, which will consist of about 1500 people maximum per turn, for a total of roughly 4500 people throughout the day.
To avoid disappointment on the day, as well as large queues, the Imperial Household Agency has announced that members of the public intending to take part in the ceremony will need to reserve their places in advance. However, specific details don’t seem to have been released yet.
This will be the first public celebration of the Emperor’s birthday for Naruhito, who didn’t get a chance to do so yet. He acceded to the throne in May 2019, meaning that his birthday had already passed, and in 2020 Japan began closing public spaces at the beginning of the year due to fear of COVID-19 spreading.
Aside from Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako, the public can also expect their daughter, Princess Aiko, as well as the current heir to the throne, Crown Prince Fumihito, and his family, to make an appearance on the Palace’s balcony.
