Their last visit to our town

There is a museum in my town which features one famous author of fairy stories, Nankichi Niimi. Surprisingly, the Emperor and the Empress visited the museum this week. My colleagues and I went to welcome them.

Newspapers said that the mother read the Empress fairy stories by Nankichi Niimi when she was a child. A series of stories by Nankichi Niimi seemed to be pivotal books for her. Both the Emperor and the Empress are quite elder that we think this was the last visit to our town.

Unfortunately, it was sprinlking, however, we went to the museum without any umbrellas. We thought a lot of people gathered and it would hardly see the Emperor and the Empress if all of us held up the umbrellas.

People were already crowded along the streets. We couldn’t enter the museum premises because we didn’t have special invitations. We tried to find the best place to see the Emperor and the Empress and wave them.
(By the way, how could I say “to see V.I.P like the emperor” in English?)

The audience along the streets, ofcourse including us, wanted to see the Emperor and the Empress closely and clearly. Police officers and officers from Imperial Household Agency asked(sometimes ordered) us to stay calm and not to break the line. Some people, especially the elder, complained that they were too small to see the Emperor and the Empress at all although they came late. The officers asked the people waiting at the front line to give the elder some space.

“They will cross in a minute!” one of officers received infromation with his walkie-talkie and exclaimed. It’s about time. People held up their own cameras or cellphones in order to take photographs.

The black-colored and luxury car(named “Century” by TOYOTA) passed in front of us. I saw the Emperor waving from the car. I tried to take a photo…but thanks to my damn skills, only someone’s hands were all I took.

The car turned right silently and parked. The Emperor and the Empress got out of the car and walked towards the museum without umbrellas. People kept apprauding them until they entered the building. I could see only the figures at great distance.

While we were waiting for the time and seeing the Emperor and the Empress entering the building, we were bothered with umbrellas of others, especially the elders. My colleagues and I got irritated and finally said like this; “Recently, people, especially the elder, claim that the young are impolite in public. Look at this, the Emperor and the Empress held no umbrellas. The Emperor Hirohito(the emperor in Showa era) stood on the stage without any umbrellas or raincoats when people waited for him in heavy rain. He always took care of the people. Who is the rude? Hey, tell me, the elder, tell me what oomigokoro is?”(oomigokoro is the feelings or thoughts of the emperor in people’s respectful way)

The emperor in Japan literally means “the highest preist to Shinto like Pope to Catholic” rather than “monarch.” The emperor’s male line has lasted for over 2600 years, which is the longest line in the world. We should be honored of it.

I reported this topic to my grandmother when I was home. She went back to her room after my talk finished and returned with one photograph in her hand. “Look at this. This is a photograph when I volunteered a few days at the Imperial Palace.”

When the Japanese gorvenment was under control of G.H.Q., there was no budget to clean the Palace. People at the time visited the Palace and cleaned without salaries. The Showa Emperor came all the way to reward the people. It is said the origin of the celebrations for the people at the beginning of every year by Imperial family.

I’ll put several pictures.

This is the photograph which my grandmother showed to me.

Police officers paid attention to the directions where the Emperor comes.

I wish I would be there…

My colleague did a good job. He took a nice photograph. She is the Empress Michiko, who was the first Empress from commoners.

I’ll post a new journal about the tombs of the Emperors in Tokyo.