Japanese emperor, empress to attend funeral of Elizabeth II, contrary to tradition

Japan’s emperor and empress will attend Queen Elizabeth II’s state funeral next week at the invitation of the royal family, a Japanese government spokesperson has confirmed, Report informs referring to The Guardian.

The Japanese government accepted the invitation for Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako to travel to Britain to pay their respects to the late Queen, because of close relations between the two countries’ royal families, chief cabinet secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said.

Traditionally, a Japanese emperor does not make appearances at funerals at home or abroad because of a cultural belief that considers death impure. The decision for Naruhito to attend the Queen’s funeral underscores the importance and the bond between the royal and imperial families.

During Queen Elizabeth’s 70-year reign, the British royal family and the Japanese imperial family have maintained friendly relations for three generations, Matsuno noted.

The imperial couple are scheduled to leave Japan on September 17 and return home on September 20, he said.

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, and other government officials are not planning to attend the funeral, Matsuno added.