Ceremony to celebrate royal wedding
Japanese people attend a function at the Izumo Taisha grand shrine to mark union of Princess Noriko and Kunimaro Senge seven years ago
Many people celebrated the wedding of Princess Noriko and Kunimaro Senge at the Izumo Taisha grand shrine on Sunday, where the two met for the first time seven years ago.
Princess Noriko, the second daughter of the late Prince Takamado, appeared shortly after 11am in imperial court dress from the Heian period with a traditional coiffure called osuberakashi. Senge wore his family’s traditional priestly vestments, as they have been in charge of rituals at the grand shrine for generations.
The ceremony was conducted in accordance with the shrine’s traditions.
The yellow uchiki gown and red kouchigi robe worn by Noriko at the ceremony were given to her grandmother Princess Yuriko, 91, by Empress Teimei, the consort of the Taisho Emperor. Princess Yuriko is the wife of Prince Takahito of Mikasa, the current Emperor’s uncle.
After the ceremony, the bridegroom said to the press, “I hope we will live a happy long life.”
Noriko said with a smile, “I do too.” There was also a moment when the two gazed at each other smiling.
She lost her Imperial status on the day.
The couple first met in April 2007 when Noriko and her mother Princess Hisako, 61, visited Izumo Taisha, which enshrines the chief god Okuninushi. They grew closer through the interaction of their families, and they eventually came to think of marriage.
Many young people visited the grand shrine on Sunday to pray that they too would marry someday. A 27-year-old male office worker from Kyoto and a 23-year-old female employee from Suita, Osaka Prefecture, said they also wanted to get married at Izumo Taisha.
Princess Hisako of Takamado issued a statement saying: “I ask the Senge family to take good care of Noriko but at the same time to give her strict guidance. I strongly hope the couple will build a bright family filled with smiles.”
Kunimaro’s father Takamasa and mother Ayako said they were very happy that the wedding ceremony was conducted in front of the grand shrine’s god and were filled with gratitude over their union.
