Throughout this year, a series of elaborate ceremonies are being held in Japan to mark the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito and the beginning of the new imperial era, named Reiwa, said to mean ¡°beautiful harmony.¡±
The Daijosai, the most secretive and arguably controversial part of those ceremonies, was set to begin Thursday evening and continue into the early hours of Friday. The ceremony is a Shinto rite during which a new emperor prays for peace and a rich harvest for the nation.
The ceremony, which originated centuries ago, is mysterious because the exclusive ritual is attended only by the emperor and a handful of female assistants, all wearing traditional-style dress, and according to Shinto beliefs involves deities descending to the ground during the ceremony.
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