A Personal Glimpse Behind Japan's Imperial Throne

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fountainhall

A Personal Glimpse Behind Japan's Imperial Throne

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Three weeks after I had moved to work in Tokyo in late 1990, I joined the throngs lining the streets near my office to catch a glimpse of the new Emperor Akihito and his wife as he returned from communing with the Sun God, an important ritual for a new Emperor. Tomorrow Akihito resigns in favour of his older son, the first Emperor to do so in more than 200 years. With the Emperor having little say in the day-to-day running of the country, little is likely to change. Hopefully history will judge Akihito more favourably than his father.

Few people have the chance of meeting the Emperor. To mark his departure, I will tell the story of one friend who has met both the Emperor and Empress on several occasions, one a major surprise. Back in the 1980s I was introduced to a musician who was already famous and was to become a dear and close friend. For privacy sake, I will not use his real name. David happened to be one of the world’s finest soloists on his stringed instrument. His partner in music and life for more than 50 years is a pianist and for decades they travelled together performing in the world’s great concert halls.

Both loved their regular tours to Japan. They even learned conversational Japanese. Early on one of these tours, they received a note through their agent informing them of an invitation to tea at the Imperial Palace with the Empress. Both knew that the Empress was an accomplished pianist. Assuming he might be asked to perform after tea, David took along his instrument. Sure enough, the Empress requested him to play. He had made some arrangements of well-known traditional Japanese songs and invited the Empress to accompany him. She was delighted.

This routine continued on several occasions until, tired of constant touring, David decided to retire from public performing. I was a guest at his last performance, also in Japan, in 2005. He and his partner then retired to their home on Vancouver Island where I have had the joy of visiting them on several occasions.

In 2009, they read about a State Visit the Emperor would make to Canada and noticed that one day on Vancouver Island had been scheduled. They looked at each other. Could they – dare they – issue an invitation to the Imperial couple for tea? End result was they sent a formal invitation to their contact at the Palace in Tokyo. For weeks they heard nothing. Then the Japanese Embassy in Ottawa called to inform them that their Majesties would be delighted to join them for tea for one hour after their formal lunch engagement.

On the appointed day, they had cleaned the house from top to toe and put up with three separate security sweeps. At the appointed hour, David and his partner were standing outside their front door when the neighbours were staggered to see the Imperial motorcade stopping and the Emperor and Empress alighting. The ritual bowing over, the party entered the house. Tea was taken, along with a green tea cake which David's partner had made, after which David invited the Empress to visit the music studio where he made some of his recordings. Inevitably the Empress wished to perform with David which they did. That one-hour visit extended to two. Finally their guests returned to their limousines and the visit was over. Both felt those two hours were probably the most enjoyable for the Emperor and Empress on their entire 12-day Visit.

David and his partner returned once more to Japan. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, they decided do so at their own expense, this time to perform free for all those who had lost their homes and were living in shelters. They wrote to their contact at the Palace to ask how arrangements could be made. This was quickly done and soon they arrived in Tokyo for two nights before going up to Sendai. Awaiting them at their hotel was an invitation not for tea but for dinner at the Palace on the following evening with both the Emperor and Empress. After dinner, David and the Empress performed together once again with the Empress clearly delighted. On this occasion, instead of bidding farewell inside the Palace and a Palace official taking them to the entrance, the Emperor and Empress accompanied them. Standing in the driveway, the Emperor expressed his deep gratitude for their love of Japan and their generosity. And in addition to the usual bows, the Empress held out her arms and embraced the two men.

Sometimes a look behind Palace formality gives a better idea of the humanity of its occupants.
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