Typhoon & Emperor

Typhoon Hagibis （台風１９号）

Typhoon Hagibis was a large and powerful tropical cyclone that was considered to be the most devastating typhoon to hit the Kantō region of Japan since Ida in 1958.

Hagibis caused additional impacts to Japan, after Faxai struck the same region one month prior.

The nineteenth named storm and the ninth typhoon of the 2019 Pacific typhoon season, Hagibis developed from a tropical wave located a couple hundred miles north of the Marshall Islands on 2 October.

The system reached tropical storm status late on 5 October as it travelled westward.

Soon afterwards, Hagibis underwent a period of rapid intensification, which brought Hagibis to its peak intensity on 7 October.

After maintaining the peak intensity for about three days, Hagibis began to weaken due to less favorable environment.

On 12 October, Hagibis made landfall at Izu Peninsula as a Category 2–equivalent typhoon.

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Hagibis became extratropical on the following day.

Still recovering from the impacts of Faxai, Hagibis caused widespread damage across Japan, particularly in the Kantō region.

As of 20 October 2019, at least 83 people have been confirmed dead and 11 others went missing in Japan.

Early on 12 October, Hagibis triggered a tornado in Ichihara City.

About half an hour before Hagibis made landfall, a magnitude 5.7 earthquake occurred off the coast of Chiba Prefecture, worsening the dangerous condition even more.

Shelves in shops around Tokyo were quickly cleared, as people bought supplies ahead of Hagibis making landfall.

Forecasts across eastern, western, and northern Japan called for strong winds and torrential rain that would likely cause flooding and mudslides.

JR Group, Japan Airlines, and All Nippon Airways suspended services.

JMA weather forecaster, Yasushi Kajiwara, said, “It is a level 5 situation; some sort of disaster may have already taken place. People are strongly advised to act to protect their lives right away.”

Evacuation orders have been issued to more than 800,000 households across 11 prefectures.

Over 230,000 people took the advice to head to evacuation shelters.

The typhoon had effects on several major sporting events occurring in Japan.

Three matches of the 2019 Rugby World Cup were cancelled due to Hagibis, including the Pool B matches between New Zealand and Italy, and Canada and Namibia, and the Pool C match between England and France.

This marked the first time that matches have been cancelled in the history of the Rugby World Cup.

All cancelled matches were counted as draws: the cancelled fixture effectively eliminated Italy from the tournament, as they had a chance to potentially qualify for the knockout stage with a sufficient margin of victory against New Zealand.

On 11 October, it was announced that the Saturday practice session for the 2019 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka Circuit would be cancelled, and the Saturday qualifying session postponed to Sunday morning prior to the race.

The F4 Japanese Championship cancelled its round at the circuit as well.

Despite the games being played indoors in domed stadiums, Nippon Professional Baseball postponed both Game 4 Climax Series games in the 2019 Pacific League Climax Series and the 2019 Central League Climax Series.

Both games were planned to take place on Saturday, October 12, one in Tokorozawa, Saitama, the other in Bunkyō, Tokyo.

The games were instead played the next day on Sunday, October 13.

Source:“Typhoon Hagibis (2019)”
Free encyclopedia “Wikipedia”

Emperor Naruhito completes enthronement

in ceremony rich with history and ritual

by Sakura Murakami

Oct 22, 2019

Emperor Naruhito cut a grand figure Tuesday as the deep purple curtains of his canopied, 6.5-meter-tall throne were pulled apart to reveal him enrobed in an orange-brown garment, a black crown atop his head, as he announced his enthronement to the world.

“Having previously succeeded to the imperial throne in accordance with the Constitution of Japan and the Special Measures Law on the Imperial House Law. I now … proclaim my enthronement to those at home and abroad,” he declared at the enthronement ceremony, called Sokui no Rei, which was attended by around 2,000 dignitaries from some 180 countries and regions.

Sokui no Rei is one of the major events in a series of ceremonies and rites scheduled throughout the year following Emperor Naruhito’s accession to the chrysanthemum throne in May.

Although he officially became emperor on May 1, after his father — now Emperor Emeritus Akihito — stepped down from the throne due to his advanced age, Tuesday’s ceremony marks the official declaration of Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement.

“I pledge hereby that I shall act according to the Constitution, and fulfill my responsibility as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people of Japan, while always wishing for the happiness of the people and the peace of the world, turning my thoughts to the people and standing by them,” he said, underlining the emperor’s role within the country’s supreme law.

The ceremony saw the emperor and empress in regal attire entering the Pine Chamber of the Imperial Palace, as attending dignitaries watched by video link from within the Imperial Palace.

Big names such as Prince Charles from the United Kingdom, Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao from the United States, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon were there to congratulate the new emperor.

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Wearing imperial robes in a warm brown hue — a color reserved in times past especially for the emperor — Emperor Naruhito sat on the takamikura canopied throne, which is decorated with lacquer and gold phoenixes and sits atop a square dais.

His wife Empress Masako was in similarly regal attire, wearing a colorful and multilayered kimono, and sat on a smaller version of Emperor Naruhito’s throne.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe offered congratulations in response to the emperor’s speech, saying, “We, the people, look up to His Majesty the Emperor as the symbol of Japan and the unity of its people, and, with a renewed spirit, will put our best efforts into creating an era where new culture will flourish as a peaceful, hopeful and proud Japan realizes a bright future and the people come together in beautiful harmony.”

He then led the guests in a banzai salute before the emperor and empress exited the chamber.

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Initially, a parade had been planned for after the ceremony to allow the public to see the imperial couple drive by in a convertible sedan as they traveled back to their residence in the Akasaka district.

However, the government announced that they would reschedule the parade for Nov. 10 out of consideration for those affected by Typhoon Hagibis earlier in the month.

Celebrations were nevertheless set to continue for the guests in attendance, with the emperor and empress scheduled to host a total of four banquets, the first of which took place Tuesday evening.

Amid all the pomp and splendor, Tuesday’s ceremonies also highlighted the lack of male heirs to the throne.

As the current law stands, only male heirs of the male line of the family are permitted to succeed the throne.

Source:“Emperor Naruhito completes enthronement”
The Japan Times