Japan's ancient and mysterious royal regalia cnn.com

Along with a fabled octagonal mirror (which plays no part Tuesday's ceremony), they form Japan's royal regalia, or the Three Sacred Treasures.
Emperor Naruhito inherits the imperial regalia at a ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo in May.
An engraving by Toyohara Chikanobu shows the sun goddess Amaterasu in the right-hand panel with the Three Sacred Treasures.
Unlike the Three Sacred Treasures, these items served a very practical purpose, having previously been used to officialize laws, treaties and documents.
Yet it is the mysterious royal regalia that have captured the public imagination.