TOKYO: Presentation of Credentials – Sri Lanka & Liberia Carriage Procession | Japan

The Presentation of Credentials is a diplomatic ceremony in which a newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary presents letters of credence to His Majesty the Emperor. The ceremony is held at the Imperial Palace in the presence of ministers and senior officials representing the Government of Japan. The carriage procession seen in this ceremony preserves the form of diplomatic protocol established at a time when horse-drawn carriages were the formal means of transportation for state occasions. At that time, carriages were widely used in official ceremonies in major countries, while automobiles had not yet become a practical or established means of ceremonial transport in terms of reliability and performance. Introduced under those diplomatic and technological conditions, carriage transportation has been maintained as part of imperial diplomatic protocol since the first Presentation of Credentials in 1871. On the day of the ceremony, the newly appointed ambassador arrives at Tokyo Station by official vehicle and, according to the ambassador’s preference, proceeds to the Imperial Palace either in an imperial state vehicle (Toyota Century Royal) or in a ceremonial carriage. The ceremonial carriage currently in use, State Carriage No. 4, was manufactured in Japan in 1913. With its lacquered body and the Imperial crest rendered in gold takamaki-e lacquer, it incorporates design elements that reflect the distinctive character of Japanese decorative arts, and it continues to be used in official imperial ceremonies more than a century after its manufacture. The attire worn by the coachmen and carriage attendants is based on the Imperial Household Ordinance on Official Uniforms enacted in 1911. The uniforms follow the style of court dress shown in the ordinance’s appended illustrations, consisting of knee-fastened breeches and long stockings, and attire based on these period designs remains in use today. On this occasion, His Excellency Prof. Pivithuru Janak KUMARASINGHE, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, and His Excellency Mr. Edward Wade APPLETON, Jr., Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Liberia, presented their credentials to His Majesty the Emperor. 00:00 Ambassador of Sri Lanka arrives at Tokyo Station 00:55 Imperial carriage procession arrives at Tokyo Station 04:20 Ambassador of Sri Lanka heads to the Imperial Palace by carriage 07:13 Ambassador of Liberia arrives at Tokyo Station 08:25 Imperial carriage procession arrives at Tokyo Station 11:39 Ambassador of Liberia heads to the Imperial Palace by carriage 14:39 Ambassador of Sri Lanka returns to Tokyo Station by carriage 18:26 Imperial carriage procession returns to the Imperial Palace 20:31 Ambassador of Sri Lanka departs Tokyo Station by official car 21:49 Ambassador of Liberia returns to Tokyo Station by carriage 26:10 Imperial carriage procession returns to the Imperial Palace 28:22 Ambassador of Liberia departs Tokyo Station by official car October 31, 2025