IO – Only a day after taking an oath to serve as vice president for the next five years, Indonesian Vice President Ma’ruf Amin and his wife, Wury Ma’ruf Amin, flew to Japan to attend the coronation of the Emperor Naruhito at The Seiden (State Hall), Imperial Palace. He was present carrying out the duties of the President representing the Indonesian government. “I and a limited group will soon leave for Japan to represent the Indonesian Government present at the coronation ceremony of the Emperor of Japan, Naruhito,” said Ma’ruf in a written statement received by an Independent Observer reporter, Monday (10/21/2019).
Vice President Ma’ruf and his entourage flew to Japan using the BBJ-2 Presidential Aircraft from Halim Perdanakusuma Air Base in East Jakarta. They departed at 10:00 a.m. and are scheduled to arrive at Narita International Airport, Tokyo at 19.30 Japanese time. They were welcomed by Ambassador Koji Inomata, former Japanese Ambassador in the Netherlands and LBBP Indonesian Ambassador in Tokyo Arifin Tasrif. After the inauguration of the emperor, Ma’ruf is scheduled to return on Tuesday (10/22/2019). “After the coronation ceremony, my group and I will immediately return to Jakarta and arrive in Jakarta, God willing, Tuesday night,” said Ma’ruf.
At Halim Perdana Kusuma Airport, the Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Masafumi Ishii saluted the Vice President’s departure with gratitude because he was able to attend the event amidst his busy schedule. Japan is the first country that the vice president visits in his state visit. Ambassador Ishii has also requested the support of Vice President Ma’ruf Amin so that in the next 5 years Japan and Indonesia can “Work Together, Progress Together”.
Tuesday, October 22, 2019, in Tokyo the coronation ceremony for the Emperor of Japan was held, attended by officials from more than 180 countries. Emperor Naruhito (59) and his wife, Empress Masako (55) took the throne last May in a brief traditional ceremony, but the ceremony on Tuesday (10/22) was a more complex ritual in which he officially announced changes in his status to the world.
Wearing ceremonial robes dominated by copper-coated outer robes, Naruhito announced: “I hereby declare my coronation at home and abroad.”
The ceremony, named Sokuirei- Seiden-no-gi, was carried out mostly in silence at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo, with only the sound of drums and gongs being heard. Around 2,000 guests, including foreign officials and aristocrats, stood with a drum beat before the coronation announcement began.
As soon as the ceremony was over, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe shouted, “Banzai!” (“Emperor’s long life”) three times.
Naruhito officially carried out his duties as Emperor on 1 May, the day after his father became the first Japanese emperor to abdicate in the last two centuries. However, the transition is not complete until his new role is officially proclaimed today. (OHW)