WORLD RELIGIONS

Detailed explanation-1: -The Daijō-sai () is a special religious service conducted in November after the enthronement, in which the Emperor of Japan gives thanks for peace of mind and a rich harvest to the solar deity Amaterasu () and her associated deities, and pray for Japan and its citizens.

Detailed explanation-2: -Enthronement (, Sokui no rei) is an ancient ceremony that marks the accession of a new emperor to Japan’s Chrysanthemum Throne, the world’s oldest continuous hereditary monarchy. Various ancient imperial regalia (three sacred treasures) are given to the new sovereign during the course of the rite.

Detailed explanation-3: -The Japanese language has two words equivalent to the English word “emperor": tennō (, “heavenly sovereign"), which refers exclusively to the emperor of Japan, and kōtei (), which primarily identifies non-Japanese emperors. Sumeramikoto ("the imperial person") was also used in Old Japanese.

Detailed explanation-4: -According to mythology, Japan’s first emperor, Emperor Jimmu, was a descendant of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and enthroned in the year 660 BC.

Detailed explanation-5: -Historically, the emperor controlled the cultural life of Japan and was integral in ceremonies associated with the Japanese religion of Shinto. The emperor was often only minimally involved in politics. Still, he was the symbol of the nation and revered above all others.