Evening star., 1960-09-27

Japan, who comes to Washing
ton today. is one of the best
hopes for keeping Japan firmly
allied with the West.
When the Prince was here in
1858, his former teacher. Mrs.
Elizabeth Gray Winning. of
Philadelphia, remarked:
"The Communist Party in
Japan is making a valiant try
for the young college people.
and are trying to sell them on
the idea that only with COM
munism has the country a
chance to save itself econom-
ically.
with Prince Akihito TO hold
the young people together, I
think the people who oppose
communism now have cause
for optimistic outlook"
At II he was interviewed by
Associated Press correspondent
Morrie Landsberg, and he sent
this message to American
youth: Remember me to every
one Let's be good friends"
Interested in DemOcracies
1t was at this time that he
startled Baron Hazumi, the
court chamberlain, by asking:
What is democracy?"
Hazumi replied it was a sys-
tenn of governing people "ac-
cording to their own wishes" ;"
The Prince seemed to like
the idea. In his weekly ses-
sions on foreign and internal
politics with the chamberlain,
he is known to have asked
similar questions again and
again-a trait which made
Hazumi remark: His Highness
is very interested in America"
The monarchy in Japan. the
oldest in history, was founded
in $50 BIC. by Emperor Jimmu.
When Akihito ascendS the
throne he will be the 125th
emperor of an unbroken line.
DemocratiZes Monarchy
But Akihito will 60 down in
history as the first to "democ-
ratize" the monarchy, to re-
move the aura of divinity from
the monarch, and to bring him
closer to the people. Recently
he expressed his determination
to remove permanently what
he called "the chrysanthemum
curtain" between himself and
his people.
He broke all tradition when,
last year, he married Michigo
Shoda, a commoner, and it was
he who made the selection, not
an imperial council as had been
the custom for selecting brides
for crown princes.
He met Miss Shoda at tennis.
Courtship was mostly over the
phone. When the engagement
was announced, he said in an
interview:
Il am marrying her because
love her"
Other traditions blithely
broken by him:
Tradition dictated 10 sepa-
rate ceremonies for an I'M
perial marriage. He went
through only four.
The centuries-old custom of
presenting the bride with sea
Dream, a fish of good omen,
sake and five rolls of cloth,
was kept-but with the cloth
presented was suitable for
making Western-type clothes.
From time immemorial
Crown Princes and their fan
Gees had exchanged love poems
packaged in willow boxes, but
Aklhito skipped the poetry.
The custom had been that
every Crown Prince presented
his betrothed with a sword:
Akihito broke that custom.
The custom was to bring I'D
royal children away from the
parents. But Prince Akihito's
new $650,000, 43-room palace
has been designed to provide
nursery space for their son and
for the other children they
hope will follow.
Likes U. S. Films
Before the war the Prince
was fond of Mickey Mouse
movies. During the war
screening Of American films
was forbidden, but the ban was
removed by Gen. Macarthur,
the occupation commander,
who, apparently also had
hand in the selection of Mrs.
Winning Philadelphia Quak-
er, as teacher to the Prince.
She taught him English and
other subjects, first once a
week, and then, twice a week;
and called him Jimmy" for a
change.
She recalls:
He has a natural dignity