The Emperor and Empress of Japan

My friend Kelli and I met up one day last spring to walk from our neighborhood along the boardwalk up a hill to a viewing platform where Mt. Fuji peeks up over Tokyo Bay and Yokosuka on clear days.

So we’re walking along and we see these guys dressed casually but identically, and all with massive radios and ear pieces—obviously security. After several groupings of security guys, we forgot what we were chatting about and asked them what was going on.

“Security,” they said. Right.

We get up to the viewing platform at the top of the hill past Maborikaigan heading toward Kannonzaki Park and some aide workers are rolling out a bunch of elderly people in wheelchairs, setting them up in a line facing the street. We tried again.

“Who are we waiting for?” we asked another security guy.

“Emperor,” he said. “Twenty minutes!”

Kelli and I — not two normally speechless people — were actually speechless for a moment. We looked at each other. We looked down at our clothes. Kelli sported a tank top featuring David Rose saying, “Ew, running.” I had thrown on Chris’ t-shirt that says, “I’m really into fitness… fit’ness taco in my mouth.”

So twenty minutes later there we were: a cavalcade of security on motorcycles and sleek black cars slowly drove past. THE EMPEROR AND EMPRESS OF JAPAN, windows down, waved elegantly to shrieking elderly ladies, and —gasp!— EMPRESS MASAKO totally made eye contact with me. She’s so lovely! So poised! So calm! Her husband, Emperor Naruhito, waved from his seat to her right. It seemed like they waved right at us!

In some embarrassment I wondered if she was looking at us because we should have bowed and didn’t, but most likely, she was probably admiring our excellent work out attire. You only get one chance to make a first impression, right? I think we blew it (but in the best way possible).