By Baron Henri Estramant.
Her Imperial Highness Princess Kako of Akishino (born on 29 December 1994), second daughter of TIH Prince and Princess Akishino of Japan, paid a visit to the Ise Shrine complex in Western Japan to worship the ancestors of the Imperial Family, and thereby report her entering into adulthood according to Japanese tradition and law.
The Ise Shrine complex consists of 125 shrines, of which Kako visited the two largest ones, Naiku and Geku.
The chief priest or priestess of the Ise Shrine must come from the Imperial Household, and holds the responsibility of watching over the Shrine. Since 1988, Atsuko Ikeda, sister of HIM Emperor Akihito, has been chief priestess. As of 2012, she has had her niece, Sayako Kuroda, daughter of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko, as high priestess under her.
Legendarily the Japanese imperials are descendants of the sun-Goddess Amaterasu who was the great-great-grandmother of Japan’s first emperor, Jimmu, who became ruler in 660 BCE according to tradition. Japan’s emperor is the highest authority of the Shinto religion.
The 125th emperor, Akihito, is Japan’s ceremonial Head of State but the Imperial House plays an important role in fomenting foreign ties by leading state, official and economic visits around the globe.
Japan is represented by four missions in the Benelux countries. The one to the Kingdom of the Netherlands is led by H. E. Ambassador Tsuji Masaru, the one to the Kingdom of Belgium by H. E. Ambassador Ishii Masafumi, the one to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg by H. E. Ambassador Nishimura Atsuko, and the one to the European Union in Brussels led by H. E. Ambassador Katakami Keiichi.
For more information:
Embassy of Japan to The Netherlands: http://www.nl.emb-japan.go.jp/
Embassy of Japan to Belgium: www.be.emb-japan.go.jp/english/index.html
Embassy of Japan to Luxembourg: www.lu.emb-japan.go.jp/index_f.html
Mission of Japan to the EU: www.eu.emb-japan.go.jp/
Imperial Household Agency: http://www.kunaicho.go.jp/eindex.html
