Imperial Household Agency considers reducing scale of future funerals

The Imperial Household Agency is considering a significant reduction in the scale of future imperial funerals, specifically the ‘So-ba-den no Gi’. This move follows the wishes of the Emperor Emeritus, who reportedly desires to minimize the burden on national life and avoid the excessive austerity and high costs associated with past ceremonies.

In contrast to the funeral of Emperor Showa, which involved the two-month closure of Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden and hosted approximately 10,000 attendees including international heads of state, the proposed reduction suggests holding the ceremony at the Imperial Palace with roughly 2,500 attendees. The Emperor Emeritus has reportedly expressed his views to those around him, suggesting that his own funeral should not require such immense expenditures.

Observers note that these developments reflect a shift in the role of the symbolic monarchy in relation to popular sovereignty and the evolving nature of the Imperial House Law in modern Japan.