Pres. conveys felicitations to Emperor Naruhito, at court banquet

President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih has conveyed felicitations to Japan's new Emperor Naruhito at the court banquet, following his enthronement on Tuesday.

The president and first lady are in Tokyo, Japan, having traveled there to attend the ceremony.

They were among the 2,000 delegates—including heads of state and other dignitaries from more than 170 countries—in attendance as Emperor Naruhito ascended to the throne in a centuries-old ceremony.

Afterwards, they attended the court banquet or the Kyoen-no-Gi -held at the State Banquet Hall of the Imperial Palace in the evening- with other foreign dignitaries and representatives of Japan’s executive, legislative and judicial branches, and their spouses.

At the banquet, President Solih Solih conveyed congratulations and extended felicitations to Emperor Naruhito

The function ended with entertainment by the Bugaku—traditional Japanese court music accompanied by dancing at the Grand Hall.

Those foreign dignitaries that attended Tuesday's ceremony include attended by Britain's Prince Charles, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak Yon, Chinese Vice President Wang Qishan and Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam, among others.

While Emperor Naruhito succeeded to the throne on May 1, the day after his 85-year-old father former Emperor Akihito stepped down, he is the first Japanese monarch to have studied abroad.

Japan made the day a national holiday and pardoned around 550,000 petty criminals on the occasion.

People gathered along streets in the morning, braving the rain, to get a glimpse of the imperial couple as they separately headed for the event from the Akasaka Imperial Residence, waving from their cars along the way.

President Solih and the first lady traveled to Japan this weekend, and are set to conclude the visit on October 27.