Japan to simplify banquets to celebrate new emperor's ascension

Why the hell am I obliged to pay for this when I'm not Shinto? What happened to the separation of church and state?

The committee also decided to procure a new convertible car with enhanced safety features and fuel economy for a parade slated for Oct. 22 next year to introduce the new emperor to the public.

The government ditched the idea of spending 18 million yen to recycle a Rolls-Royce convertible used in the previous parade in November 1990 that had been acquired for some 40 million yen.

I just spit my coffee up on this one. Spend what, another 30 or 40 million yen for a hybrid convertible to show off the new Emperor vs recycling a car that was used nearly 30 years for pretty much a one-time parade?

And these folks are talking about saving money!

 Two of the four banquets will be buffet-style.

(Son of) Heaven forbid! The guests are going to have to serve themselves! OMG,

The committee also decided to procure a new convertible car with enhanced safety features and fuel economy for a parade slated for Oct. 22 next year to introduce the new emperor to the public.

Perfect timing to divert everyone's attention away from the tax hike.

Instead of this "clarification" I rather know the full financials behind this, and why exactly my tax money is used to pay for bunch of rich already people to eat while old people die at home with nobody to care for them, poor people get poorer , there is not enough care facilities for young ,old or disabled and my taxes yet getting hiked....

reading these news is akin to reading some post apocalyptic fiction novel ... sounds like absolute madness

Will the banquets have Drinku Baa with Calpis?

If so, where can I get a ticket?

Dissolve the EHA, allow Gods representative ie the Emperor to decide who and how to celebrate his assenting the throne. It would be magical to have him throw a party for the poor the homeless to celebrate his position as the protector of all Japanese people. Not just a tool for the LDP elite. Now that would be something to celebrate.