About the Emperor's Birthday

It seems that another year has come and gone. And tomorrow is again the current Emperor's birthday. Every year on the 23rd of December, the Emperor and his family appear before throngs of people about once every 30 minutes and wave, say a greeting and then disappear again as the crowds are heralded out through the exit gate. Once they disappear, yet another throng of thousands are admitted through the entrance gate and the whole process begins anew. This happens from about 10 am until 3 or 4 pm in the afternoon. Every year. Until the man dies. Every year, the Emperor and his family know exactly how they will spend the Emperor's birthday. It's considered a duty of the Imperial family. And they all show up dressed in the frumpy designer digs that have been allocated for them on that day. They don't even attempt to look majestically Japanese. They all wear "yofuku" or western style clothes.

The real irony to this is that about 10 days later, everyone has to do it all over again as the Imperial Palace is once again open for tourists and well-wishers wishing to come and pay homage to the Emperor and his family.

I went last year on the 2nd of January to the Imperial Palace. We went because it was one of the few things you could do in Tokyo over the holidays and ... let's face it, it's not something you can do throughout the better part of the year. Now as both days draw near, I shudder to think of the crowds and the crowd control planning that are again taking place. If I ever felt the need to delve into the psyche of cattle to know what it feels like to be herded or prodded, rest assured, it is a need that should never arise again after last year's experience. The only thing missing from the experience was the branding. Can't say I regret not getting that experience though.

I will say this --- last year, I didn't know enough Japanese to understand what was being said when the Emperor delivered his message. But if I decided to go again this year, I would be able to understand enough ... to get me into trouble. I feel no urge to go. I feel no urge to be herded again. Right now, it's nice to be out and about during the day as most office workers are still in the office working... but come next week when the Oshougatsu arrives, the train stations, bus stations, and airports will all be packed. I think I will breathe a sigh of relief and welcome again, the downtown Tokyo that I haven't seen in over a year. In about 10 days, it's like a ghost town --- the streets are quiet and peaceful. Hardly a car passes you by on the road. You can get almost anywhere without touching another person on the train --- even during the normal rush hours.

The only time, it didn't feel like a ghost town was when we were at the Imperial Palace packed in like sardines and when we were at Sensoji Temple on New Year's day, again packed in like sardines. This holiday season, I'm going to do my best to avoid being part of a huge crowd. To that end, tomorrow's event at the Imperial Palace is a no-go. Skipping it like I skipped a bad class in my youth. Happy Birthday Emperor-sama... but you'll have to celebrate this one without me.