‘Long live the emperor and the empress!’

Tennou Heika! Kougu Heika! Banzai! called out some Japanese spectators in the crowd minutes before Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko left the American Memorial Park yesterday morning.

Waving miniature flags of their homeland, members of the Japanese community screamed at the top of their lungs, “Long live the emperor! Long live the empress!” as the visiting imperial couple paid their respects and honored American and local war dead by laying wreaths at two separate memorials inside the sprawling park.

As early as 10am, more than a hundred community members were already at the park to catch a glimpse of Akihito and Michiko, who arrived on Saipan the day before for a two-day visit to pray and honor those who died during World War II.

Security was tightened as park rangers and security frisked everyone entering the park. People with handbags and backpacks were also not permitted to go inside the park. Some had to go back to their vehicles just to leave their bags, but some who walked to the park asked others in the crowd with cars if they could keep their bags inside their vehicles temporarily.

Even the media, which brought their own stepladders to improve their vantage point to cover the event, were not spared the stringent inspection. They were asked to put the stepladders back inside the trunks of their cars.

The sun was at its full noontime glory when Akihito and Michiko arrived in their bulletproof jet-black Mercedes Benz limousine at the park, but the weather suddenly changed, the heavens opening up to heavy rains.

However, despite the torrent, the spectators remained in the open, their enthusiasm at seeing the emperor and empress not dampened by the sudden downpour. Majority of the spectators did not have umbrellas with them. Some of them tried to protect their cameras by using their shirts as cover.

Akihito and Michiko also braved the rains, often stepping out from the umbrellas protecting them from the rain to greet, smile, and wave to the crowd.

The rains, as if on cue, lightened when the imperial couple offered their respects at the two memorials inside the park but came back in a torrential downpour as soon as the ceremony was over.

Historic Preservation Office historian Genevieve Cabrera said she was able to take a closer look and take photos of the royal couple. She said the couple paid tribute at the Marianas Memorial within the park.

The imperial couple, she said, paused for a minute of prayer for islanders who perished during World War II. Cabrera said the couple offered a wreath of chrysanthemums at the memorial.

Chrysanthemums, she said, are a symbol of the emperor and his “majestic influence throughout the culture of Japan.” The 16-petal chrysanthemum is also the imperial seal of Japan, said Cabrera

The couple was then escorted to the park’s Court of Honor where they also offered a wreath and prayed for those who died on the battlefield of Saipan 60 years ago. After circling the Court of Honor, they briefly paused again in front of it, then went back to their limousine, pausing briefly to wave at spectators.

Government officials and business community members were also in full attendance to witness the historic event.