Speaking of birthdays - the Emperor of Japan's birthday was December 23. The Emperor's birthday is one of only two days a year that the Imperial Palace is open to the general public, so Michael and I decided to go check it out. We went at 8am to see the "morning appearance" of the Emperor (there was also an "afternoon appearance.")
This is the bridge you cross to get into the Imperial Palace. There is, of course, security to get in. We stood in line and had our bags searched. Compared to the US, however, security seemed really relaxed. The only annoying requirement was that I couldn't drink my latte inside the Palace grounds (I brought a thermos from home).
Volunteers (they looked to me like Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts) handed out paper Japanese flags for us to wave when the Emperor arrived.
The Emperor stood on a little balcony (just like in the movies!) and made a little speech. He was also joined by his wife, son and daughter-in-law. There had been some speculation before his birthday that the Emperor might not make a public appearance because of his health, so we were happy that he came out to make the speech.
1 comment:
Oh my goodness, that is so cool that you saw the emperor speak on his birthday! What a unique and lasting memory.
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