Letters between former United States President Abraham Lincoln and Thai King Mongkut are on display in a new exhibit at the Queen Sirikit Textile Museum on the grounds of the Grand Palace thanks to the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok. The embassy is showcasing 200 years of friendship between the two countries by putting historic gifts between their heads of state on display.
In one letter from 1861, King…
Japanese government does not plan to have female members of Imperial Family attend key enthronement ceremony
20th March 2018
The Japanese government does not have any plans to have female members of the Japanese Imperial Family at a key enthronement ceremony, Kenji to Shokei no Gi, according to sources at the Japan Times. This is one of several ceremonies that will mark the ascension of Crown…
Government services in Japan have said that the name of the new imperial era in the country will be announced in February 2019. The current era is the Heisei.
The announcement will come after a celebration ceremony for Emperor Akihito’s abdication. The celebration is…
Emperor Akihito’s April 2019 abdication ceremony to be state occasion
22nd February 2018
The abdication ceremony of Emperor Akihito in April 2019 will be a state occasion. The Japanese government made the announcement on Tuesday, 20 February.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga headed the panel which decided to also have a ceremony at the National Theater in Tokyo that celebrates 30 years of His Imperial Majesty’s reign on 24 February 2019, reported the Japan Times. This will…
Princess Mako of Japan's marriage to be postponed over "lack of preparation"
6th February 2018
The wedding of Princess Makoof Akishino – the eldest granddaughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko – and her fiance, Kei Komuro, has been postponed until 2020 due to “lack of preparation.”
The couple’s wedding date had been set for…
Basic plan for Japanese Imperial succession to be compiled by March
12th January 2018
A basic plan for Emperor Akihito’s abdication is to be compiled by March. The plan will have information on the ceremonies due to take place before his abdication as well as ceremonies related to the accession of Crown Prince Naruhito.
Yoshihide Suga, the Chief Cabinet…
The Japanese Imperial Family has released three new photos to mark the new year. The images show the senior members of the family: Emperor Akihito and his wife Empress Michiko, Crown Prince Naruhito, his wife Crown Princess Masako and their daughter Aiko, Princess Toshi, the Emperor’s second son Fumihito, Prince Akishino, his wife Kiko, Princess Akishino and their children Princess Mako…
The Emperor of Japan, Akihito, was greeted by tens of thousands outside the Imperial Palace who had gathered to hear his New Year’s speech.
The New Year’s speech is one of two events in which the Imperial Palace is open to the public. The other day is on the…
Poetry and monarchy very often go hand in hand. Whether it is King Edward III offering patronage to Geoffrey Chaucer, or King David of Israel being said to have written a number of Psalms found in the Bible, there is a strong mutual history between the two. Japanese…
Emperor Akihito not to perform Ritual Ceremonies of the Imperial Palace after abdication
31st December 2017
The Imperial Household Agency in Japan has announced that Emperor Akihito will not perform the Ritual Ceremonies of the Imperial Palace after his abdication 30 April 2019 at the age of 85. These ceremonies are held at the three different Imperial Palace Sanctuaries in Japan.
The ritual ceremonies, of which approximately 20 are performed per year, are “religious rites to pray for the peace…
