Ceremonies and rituals related to the May 1 enthronement of Emperor Naruhito will continue until the end of the year. The series of imperial succession events from the abdication of now-Emperor Emeritus Akihito and the ascension to the throne by his elder son has been greeted with a positive public atmosphere welcoming the advent of the new Reiwa Era. More than 140,000 well-wishers visited the Imperial Palace last Saturday when the new emperor and empress greeted the public for the first time since the enthronement. There are issues concerning the traditional ceremonies and rituals that must be resolved, however, since questions persist over whether some aspects are congruous with the Constitution.

Key among the upcoming ceremonies and rituals are the enthronement ceremony to be held at the Imperial Palace in October — in which Emperor Naruhito will formally declare his ascension to the throne in front of domestic and foreign guests, including the heads of administrative, legislative and judiciary powers as well as diplomatic missions and ambassadors from other countries — and the Daijosai imperial family ritual in November.

While the enthronement ceremony will be held as part of the "matters of state" that the emperor is to perform as stipulated in the Constitution, the Daijosai — grand thanksgiving rite — is a private ritual of the imperial family. It is the first annual Niinamesai harvest festival performed by a new emperor, who will offer freshly harvested rice to his imperial ancestors and to deities of heaven and Earth, while praying for peace and abundant harvests for the country and the people.