The craziness of my life
So I was minding my own business today. Doing the same old same old. Just riding my bike past the train station after my Japanese language lesson. But today it's packed. People are standing everywhere, cops are at the intersections and everyone is waving Japanese flags.
I stop to try and figure out what's happening and the next thing I know I'm part of the crowd, now hold my own Japanese flag. An older Japanese man has tried to explain something to me but I totally didn't understand him. But I did catch ju pun. (ten minutes). So I figured "I have ten minutes to see what I've gotten myself into." And the fact that everyone else who is being stopped by this man is saying "Honto! Uso!" (Really?? NO WAY!!) confirms that this is worth waiting for.
Soon 12 motorcycle police weave past us, then specially marked police cars. About this time the woman beside me asks me what's going on, in English. As we talk I find out she is from the Philippines. She married an Italian man and moved to Italy. But he got a job with a Japanese company and they are in town for three weeks. She says "Last night I tried to download the new James Bond film but some how I got the 9/11 documentary. It was so sad, I love America and all that it has done for the Philippines. It's so sad that that had to happen to America!"
So there I am with my Japanese flag waving in the wind while someone thanks me for being an American. It was strange. A few minutes before I had an old man tell me "arigato" (thank you) when he saw me hold the Japanese flag.
So back to the cars. Suddenly a big group comes out of the train station straight a head of me less than half a block. The group is led by the two people in this picture. Everyone starts applauding and then gets silent. As the couple get in a black Japanese limo a man starts shouting. At first I thought he was a protester but then I realized he was saying something very polite. A moment later the car was driving right past where I was standing less than 5 feet in front of me. And I see quite clearly the gray haired woman smiling and waving at us.
Have you guessed who these two are yet?
Yup, Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko!
I've lived in America 30 years and all I've seen is the White House through the bars of the front fence. I live in Japan a year and the Emperor and Empress drive right past me. Man, I guess Japan really is a small island! :)
As I said it was just a normal day so I didn't have my camera with me, and I didn't think to ask the Filipino lady to email me the picture she took. (so this picture is from the internet). I took a picture with my cell phone camera but it's slow and takes small fuzzy shots :(
I later heard that they were probably headed up to their vacation home in the town of Nasu. (It's up in the mountains, a little over an hour from Utsu) Maybe to catch the first Cherry Blossoms??? I don't know?
So that was my adventure for the day. Hopefully I'll get the photos from the ski camp soon and maybe I can post something about China also.
posted by Keith @ 12:05 AM
3 Comments:
WOW! That is cool that the emporer would just go down the street like that.
My vote for your next post should be your China trip!
whaaaaa??!!! That's ridiculous?! How are you so stinky lucky? Dang gina, I wish I were Keith Brooks. You passed your license test the first time, you have a bicycle and a car, you got to see the Emperor and Empress, and you get to be friends with me. Wow, how did you get so lucky?! Just kidding. I just had to give myself a little encouragement since I was jealous you got to see the Emperor and Empress. Ii na~~
good job. it looks like you turned on the blog feed properly. =)
Post a Comment
<< Home