New York, N.Y. In 1975, the Emperor and Empress of Japan were invited by President Ford to make their first official visit to the United States (Sept. 30 – Oct. 14.).
This was a serious thing as a Japanese Emperor had never visited the United States. The once-defeated country was invited by the president of the winning country of World War Two, some thirty years before. The Emperor’s spoke majestically at the White House dinner:
“I have wished to visit your country for many years and I tell you the following: I would like to express my gratitude directly to you for your kindness and help in the reconstruction of our country immediately after that unfortunate war that deeply saddens me to this day.
Today, a new generation has become the majority in both Japan and the United States. Yet I believe the tolerance and goodwill of the people of United States will be handed down to the Japanese people for a long time.”
When I was six years old, I was unaware of the Emperor’s existence. I listened to Emperor Showa’s words about the end of the war on the radio. All I could understand was that something really important was happening. This was the moment when the whole Japanese nation heard the Emperor’s voice for the first time. Every adult seemed to be crying. I feel like I can still hear the high and gentle, mellow voice of the Emperor from that time. From his voice, I remember feeling the man was very sad. When I felt the deep sorrow of Emperor Showa at that time, I could guess how inspiring the time of the dinner speech was for the Emperor!
Emperor’s Return Banquet at Smithsonian
In return for President Ford’s White House dinner, Emperor Showa invited President and Mrs. Ford and other American VIPs for a banquet at the Smithsonian Institute in Washington. At that time, my husband and I were asked to assist.
The Emperor liked baseball, especially player Hank Aaron. About two hundred important guests were invited, including famous American citizens, President Ford, White House staff, and the ambassadors of counties friendly to Japan and the U.S. I was sure that the Empress would wear kimono, so I hesitated about wearing a kimono. My father Heizo Tatsumura was a Living National treasure in japan based on his expertise with textile, so instead wore a silver robe, Decollete, crafted by my friend Pierre Cardin with silk (shosongire) made by my father.
Select Song for Each Dish on Menu
After much thought, my husband and I decided to have music by a chamber orchestra for each menu of the course and so we organized the ensemble. My husband was one of the original founders of the Julliard Quartet and we gathered students from Juilliard as well as Japanese music students from around the world.
I remember well the first course was an appetizer of smoked trout, so I chose Schubert’s The Trout. After that, my husband and I decided other songs along the menu. The orchestra ensemble played in this way throughout the gala dinner.
There was a small exhibition of paintings before the dinner party. This included several paintings by the Empress as she was good at painting. At this time I was honored and delighted to meet the Empress and Empress, President and Mrs. Ford, then Prime Minister Miki and later Prime Minister Fukuda, as well as VIPs and many other people on the American side.
Brought their own Tableware, Chairs and Napkins from Japan
It was hard to prepare for the dinner. Everything from the silverware to gold chairs was brought in from Japan. Everything had the chrysanthemum crest of the Emperor on all the dishes, napkins and tablecloths. The plates were delicate and it was a truly beautiful setup.
A Gift from the Empress
The Empress was a kind person. She asked me, “What kind of person are you?” I was the only Japanese living in America who was invited to the dinner. The Empress gave me a silver compact with the Imperial crest as well as a gold cup for my husband. I still cherish those special, sacred mementos.
Gratitude Gassho.
