Well, actually I only met one, Emperor Hirohito of Japan. At the same time I did meet Crown Prince Akihito, who is now the Emperor of Japan, but back then, he was the Crown Prince, not the Emperor that he is today. But, I can fudge a bit and say I met two Emperors of Japan.
In the Spring of 1980, the American Embassy, as well as other embassies in Tokyo, received an invitation from the Japanese Foreign Ministry (Gaimusho) to attend the annual Emperor's Cherry Blossom Viewing. Those embassy employees who were on the "blue list" (the diplomatic list) were invited and each embassy was to submit a list of names of proposed attendees. The viewing was to take place that year at Akasaka Palace Grounds. The festivities would involve not only viewing of the spectacular cherry blossom display, but sumptuous delicacies and refreshments served on the grounds. The highlight of the of this occasion was the formal reception line and the greeting and meeting of the Emperor and the Empress, the Crown Prince and Princess, and the rest of the Imperial Household of Japan.
This was indeed an unusual and an exciting opportunity for those fortunate enough to be invited, not only to participate in a spectacular gala, but actually meet the Emperor and Empress of Japan. Both Jo and I had been in Japan before I was assigned to the embassy. In fact, I had lived in Japan as a kid for several years. But neither one of us had an opportunity to meet the Emperor and the Empress before, so we were pretty excited.
The American Embassy contingent was taken to the Akasaka Palace Grounds in shuttle vans and went through the rigid security checks before the Palace Gate. We were on the grounds only for a short period, meeting other embassy guests when an announcement was made that we were to head for a designated area where the Imperial Reception Line was formed. Japanese being sticklers for "proper" organization, we were told to line up in the order that we were instructed. Pretty soon the line started to move, with each embassy grouped together. As we neared the Emperor and the Empress, we could see that the Imperial Household was quite large. Next to the Emperor and the Empress stood the Crown Prince and the Princess, followed by other Princes and Princesses, Dukes and Duchesses. As Jo and I came up to face Emperor Hirohito, I noticed that there was a member of the Imperial Staff standing slightly to the rear and off to the side of Emperor Hirohito. The man held a list and he read off our names and positions in the embassy!
I was struck by the fact that Emperor Hirohito was a very small, slight man. He must have stood all of about 5 feet 2 or 3 inches at most! I was surprised that he spoke English as he said "I am very pleased to meet you," and shook my hand. He then turned his attention to Jo and shook her hand and said something similar. Next we shook the hand of the Empress, who only smiled and did not say anything in English. The Crown Prince Akihito, the current Emperor, who stood next to his mother the Empress, was even shorter than his father, the Emperor. Crown Prince Akihito, now Emperor Akihito, must be around 5 feet 1 or 2 inches tall, about an inch less than his father. The Crown Prince also greeted in English as he shook hands, as did the Princess. All of the Royal family apparently spoke some English, at least enough to say proper greetings.
It was certainly interesting and exciting to meet and shake the hand of the Emperor of Japan and his family. After the reception line, everyone not only viewed the spectacular cherry blossoms that were in full bloom, but enjoyed the wonderful food and refreshments. The best sake, made especially for the occasion was served out of huge wooden casks and guests could take the special wooden cups as mementos after taking a drink. It was truly a wonderful and spectacular event, and meeting the Emperor was the highlight.
The Emperor's Cherry Blossom Viewing is an annual event, but not all years the Emperor appears to greet the guests. The following year, Spring of 1981, the Emperor's Cherry Blossom Viewing was held at Meiji Park, but the Emperor and his family did not hold a reception line. So, Jo and I were fortunate to have gotten an invitation to a cherry blossom viewing when the Emperor did appear to greet guests.
Emperor Hirohito and Crown Prince Akihito were the only true Royalty that I had chance to meet in my life. Later, when I was in Cairo, I met a number of diplomats from the Arabian Peninsula who had royal titles. But, as someone once said, every desert nomad in the Arabian Peninsula who has more than one wife and a pair of goats is called a "Prince," and Muslims are legally allowed three wives! It may be an exaggeration, but you get the picture. I did not feel like I was meeting true Royalty when I met those diplomats, but meeting Emperor Hirohito and Crown Prince Akihito, I did feel as if I was meeting someone special!
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