Crown prince, princess return to Tokyo

Pool photo / The Yomiuri Shimbun
Crown Prince Akishino and Crown Princess Kiko visit the mausoleum of Emperor Meiji in Kyoto on Friday.

TOKYO (Jiji Press) — Crown Prince Akishino and his wife, Crown Princess Kiko, returned to Tokyo by air on Saturday morning after their visit to Mie, Nara and Kyoto prefectures from Wednesday.

The couple visited Ise Grand Shrines, a major Shinto shrine complex in Mie Prefecture, on Thursday and the mausoleums of Emperor Jimmu in Nara Prefecture and those of Emperor Komei and Emperor Meiji in Kyoto , both on Friday, reporting the completion in 2020 of Rikkoshi-no-Rei ceremonies to proclaim Crown Prince Akishino’s rise to first in line to the throne.

Besides the return flight, the couple traveled about 800 kilometers by car during the four-day visit, as a measure to prevent COVID-19 infections.

On Tuesday, the couple will visit the Musashi Imperial Mausolea Grounds in Hachioji, Tokyo, where the mausoleums of Emperor Showa and Emperor Taisho are located.