Sokutai

The Shōwa Emperor on his enthronement ceremony wearing a sokutai and holding a shaku

The sokutai (束帯) is complex attire only worn by courtiers, aristocrats and the emperor at the court in Japan. Part of a sokutai are the shaku (笏), a flat ritual baton or sceptre, and a hat called kanmuri (冠) (see photo).

No longer in normal use, the sokutai is however still worn by imperial court members and government officials (including the Prime Minister) on rare occasions such as weddings and enthronement ceremonies.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Sokutai.

• The Costume Museum | The Heian Period
• Encyclopaedia Britannica: Sokutai

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