Senior DPJ lawmaker orders Prince Akishino, wife to sit down

Wednesday 01st December, 01:40 AM JST

TOKYO —

A senior lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party of Japan ordered Prince Akishino and his wife Princess Kiko to sit down during a ceremony held Monday to celebrate the 120th anniversary of the opening of parliament, an opposition lawmaker said on his website Tuesday. Fumiki Sakurauchi, an upper house lawmaker of Your Party, said on his blog that while the royal couple were standing to wait for the arrival of Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the ceremony held at the upper house, the lawmaker in question said, ‘‘Sit down already. We can’t take a seat (until you sit).’‘

Takeo Nishioka, president of the House of Councillors, told a press conference Tuesday that the Diet will find out who made the remark to the members of the imperial family. Ichiro Aisawa, the Diet affairs chief of the main opposition Liberal Democratic Party, said the remarks were ‘‘unforgivable’’ and that the details must be confirmed