The ceremony was originally scheduled to take place in April.
This was announced by Cabinet Secretary General Katsunobu Kato at a press conference in Tokyo on Thursday.
“As for the Crown Prince ceremony, we have decided to hold it on 8 November. The number of guests due to the coronavirus will be limited to 50”, – he said. To prevent the spread of infection, it has also been decided to abandon the banqueting part of the ceremony, which involves a buffet. Initially, the events, which are called “Riccosy no Ray”, were planned to be held in the second half of April and 350 people would be invited.
“We would like to thoroughly prepare for the event and take action against the new coronavirus so that Rikkoshi no Rei, which marks the last of many ceremonies to hand over the throne, will be held smoothly and with the blessing of the people”, – said Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga at a meeting of the ceremony committee.
Prince Akishino, 54, is the younger brother of the new Japanese Emperor Naruhito, who ascended the throne on 1 May 2019 after his father, now former Emperor Akihito, voluntarily resigned. Akishino was now first in line for the throne. His son, 13-year-old Prince Hisahito, is second in line.