Prince Akishino, the younger son of Japan’s Emperor Akihito, has stirred controversy by suggesting that the state should not cover the cost of a Shinto religious ritual for his older brother’s accession to the Chrysanthemum Throne next year.

In a press conference ahead of his 53rd birthday, the prince said: “I wonder whether it is appropriate to cover the costs of this highly religious event with state funds”.

Instead, he said the cost of the Daijosai rite in November should come directly from the imperial family’s funds.

Prince Akishino made a similar comment in 1990, the year after his father assumed the throne.

The government has not yet put a price on next year's festivities but the last one in 1990 cost $96 million (£75 million).

Prince Naruhito is due to be enthroned on May 1, the day after the present emperor becomes the first Japanese monarch to abdicate since 1817.

A series of events will take place over the following months to mark Prince Naruhito’s accession.

While Prince Akishino’s comments might appear mild, they have led to debate in a nation that still largely reveres its monarchy but is also very conscious of the separation of the imperial family and the government since the end of the second world war.