For many Japanese, seeing imperial couple is a first

Japanese people on Saipan are taking advantage of the opportunity to catch a glimpse of their emperor and empress, who arrived yesterday for a two-day visit on the island.

Interviewed separately, Japanese tourists and residents cited one common reason they were willing to stand in the sun for minutes or even hours to get what would likely be a fleeting look at the imperial couple: the chances to do that back home are next to impossible.

“I have never seen the emperor in person. This opportunity is too good to miss,” said Misa Okubo, a 28-year-old tourist from Tokyo.

Okubo, who arrived on June 20 for a memorable fifth visit to Saipan, said she was glad she would be able to see Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko before she leaves on Thursday. She is planning to join the crowd this morning at the American Memorial Park.

The wreath-laying ceremony at the park is the only event during the imperial couple’s visit that will be open to the public.

The Japanese non-government group Nippon Kaigi, also known as the Japan Conference, sent 41 members from Tokyo to Saipan to show support to the visiting imperial couple.

Late yesterday afternoon, the group joined more than a hundred other people at the Airport Road to participate in the flag-waving activity to welcome Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko to the island.

Japan Conference is a think tank-oriented NGO that has 47 branch offices in each prefecture all over Japan. It is the mission of Japan Conference to study fundamental issues like the Constitution, education, diplomacy and defense, and to propose relevant policies to the Japanese government in cooperation with the Liberal Democratic Party.

Hirofumi Tezuka, a Japanese language instructor at EIC Marianas at Nauru Building, was supposed to head back to Japan last Saturday. However, he decided to extend his stay on the island for three extra days after he learned that the emperor was coming.

“In Japan, I only get to see the emperor [and empress] on TV. It would be nice to see them in person. I’m also interested in seeing the Saipan people’s reaction to the visit,” said Tezuka.

Yukari Shimizu, a regular Saipan visitor, expressed the same desire to see the emperor. She said she could not go to the airport for the emperor’s arrival, but she would make sure to be there waving a small Japanese flag when the imperial couple’s caravan drives past on their way to the airport this afternoon.

The emperor and empress are scheduled to fly back to Japan about 4pm today.