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API-Africa

The grand enthronement ceremony on October 22, 2019 in Tokyo Japan, showcased a change of guard highlighting history and cultural heritage as the handmaidens of civilization, prosperity and stability.

 This transition, from the Heisei era corresponding to the reign of Emperor Akihito (1989-2019) to the Reiwa era that began on May 1, 2019, is poised to deepen Japan’s diplomacy in Africa.

The coronation of Japanese Emperor Naruhito on October 22, 2019 has shored up Japan’s global diplomacy. It has also aided Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s pivot to Africa. Kenya’s President Uhuru Kenyatta was one of the few African leaders invited to witness the best of Japanese cultural heritage at the grand enthronement ceremony in Tokyo.

Coming in the wake of Emperor Akihito’s decision to abdicate on April 30, 2019 after nearly 30 years on the Chrysanthemum Throne, the change of guard highlights history and cultural heritage as the handmaidens of civilization, prosperity and stability. “We, the people of Japan, revere Your Majesty as the symbol of the State and the unity of the people”, said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe defining the role of the monarchy in Japanese polity

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