Emperor, Empress Appreciate People's Support at Parade

Tokyo, Nov. 11 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako wish to thank the many people who gathered for a parade held Sunday to celebrate the Emperor's enthronement, Imperial Household Agency vice head Yasuhiko Nishimura said Monday. "The Emperor and Empress are happy that so many people congratulated them in that kind of way," Nishimura told a press conference. In the "Shukuga-Onretsu-no-Gi" parade, the Imperial couple spent some 30 minutes in a convertible traveling about 4.6 kilometers in central Tokyo, with an estimated 119,000 spectators cheering from roadside. "It was great that (the parade) ended without a hitch, and the Imperial couple was congratulated by so many people," Nishimura said. Emperor Naruhito acceded to the throne on May 1, the day after the abdication of his father, now Emperor Emeritus Akihito. The parade was the last of the five enthronement-related ceremonies stipulated as state acts under the Constitution. END