TOKYO — Emperor Akihito prayed at a Japanese shrine Thursday in a ritual to report his upcoming abdication to the Shinto gods. The 85-year-old emperor will retire on April 30 in the first abdication in 200 years and a rarity in Japan’s ancient imperial history. Akihito performed the “Shinetsu no Gi” ritual at Ise Shrine in western Japan as part of the succession process. Akihito in a tuxedo headed into the shrine, with palace officials holding up two imperial treasures — sword and jewel. Ise Shrine was a centre of Japan’s wartime emperor worship that still attracts political and business leaders today.

Source: National Post April 18, 2019 04:22 UTC