Like England, Japan has a royal family. The lineage of this family apparently is unbroken and dates back to the founding of Japan itself. These days the famly has little real power, (having been stripped of their authority following Emperor Hirohito’s involvement in World War Two), nonetheless they remain a national symbol for many Japanese.
Just like the royals in England, the Japanese royal family feature regularly in the media, (often in publications the equivalent of Women’s Weekly). Unlike the Windsors however the Japanese royals do not have a proper family name. They are usually referred to by their first names or a title. If a full name is required the surname usually ends in the suffix nomiya. (This suffix is also used in Shinto shrine names, possibly illustrating the ‘divine’ status the royals once posessed.)
This weekend the heir to the throne, known as the kotaishi, Prince Naruhito and his wife, Masako, visited Tokushima to open and view the National Cultural Festival. I was informed of their arrival by one of my students at the Tokushima Youth Centre. She was very excited when she arrived for class and couldn’t wait to tell everyone that she had seen the prince’s motorcade on her way to class. I was a little surprised by the enthusiasm she and her classmates displayed. Apparently I was wrong in believing that only the elderly took an interest in the royals.
Many of the students seemed slightly disappointed by the news, as there was no mention of Masako. The princess enjoys far more popularity than her husband because of her good looks (and his not so good looks). She also has a lot of sympathetic support too. She has been plagued by psychological troubles, a bi-product of the stress caused by pressure to give birth to a male heir to the throne (following her husband) and by the drastic changes in lifestyle forced upon her after she gave up her career in diplomacy to marry.
On Sunday we went to see some of the festival. On the way into the city we noticed many police standing by the roadside. When we stopped for lunch Yoko asked a nearby policeman what the occasion was. He informed her that the crown prince and princess would be passing by shortly.
By the time we’d finished lunch a small crowd had gathered on the opposite side of the road to view the royals passing. It seemed as though they could be coming at any moment. We hurried to gain a vantage point but were prevented from crossing the road by the numerous policeman on duty.
Once again I was surprised by the excitement generated by the royals. As the motorcade approached I asked Yoko to take some photos to try to capture the mood of the event. Unfortunately though she became a little too preoccupied with the camera and missed seeing the royal couple as they passed by waving from their black limousine.
Within the blinking of an eye they were gone. I captured a glimpse of the couple however Yoko missed out. She was bitterly disappointed to miss the opportunity. I wish now that I had had the camera instead of her.
‘Kotaishi’ and Masako as they would have appeared.
(A similar unfortunate experience occurred while we were in Dharamsala, India. The Dalai Lama had just returned from overseas travel and was returning to his home while we were out walking. We took a left turn at a fork in the road but his Highness went right. Maybe I am a jinx on Yoko seeing famous people?)
opening and closing ceremony speeches. Also at the closing ceremony the children received a present for participation. Reni was very pleased to receive an Anpan-man medal and hand towel.
