Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko present a wreath during a ceremony at Punchbowl Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Honolulu on Wednesday.
REUTERS

Emperor, empress lay wreath at Hawaii cemetery for American soldiers

Thursday 16th July, 07:12 AM JST

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Tiresias at 04:54 PM JST - 16th July

"The professor said he is honored and feels responsibility as an alumnae of the Crown Prince Akihito Scholarship..."

Alumnus surely. Alumnae indicates a number of female graduates of the programme.
polypals at 05:27 PM JST - 16th July

pr circus for all the little people that were used and discarded for ambitious colonial rulers on both side of the ocean.
PukiPuki at 06:50 PM JST - 16th July

I didn't know this news in Japan. Japanese Media is mainly broadcasting political issue these days.

I am glad to hear the couple were welcomed in Hawaii. The relationship of America and Japan shall be much better.
Triumvere at 07:49 PM JST - 16th July

Classy.
OssanAmerica at 07:58 PM JST - 16th July

Good on them. Shame the bigoted nationalists won't follow suit.

Which ones? There are those who would be against this noble gesture on both sides of the ocean.
cow76 at 08:55 PM JST - 16th July

Good to see them do this instead of all the crapping on about how Japan is a victim blah, blah, blah. The Emperor's a pretty smart and thoughtful guy. I'd like him to give his opinions a lot more.
blvtzpk at 09:09 PM JST - 16th July

Will the uyoku trucks be outside the imperial gates decying this act of treason?

Take a note, blackshirt boys, and follow in the steps of the person you're supposed to revere...
DenDon at 10:13 PM JST - 16th July

they are quite respected as quiet, law-abiding, deep-pocketed tourists

emphasis on the deep pocketed part
scap at 10:20 PM JST - 16th July

Nice gesture, but the question is why not Pearl Harbor? That would have been more meaningful. Guess their handlers thought it might stir up a hornet's nest in Japan. Then again, a visit to Pearl might lead to calls to visit Nanking, Manila and other places ravaged in his father's name from 1937-45.
usaexpat at 11:13 PM JST - 16th July

Good gesture and a step in putting the war behind us.
OssanAmerica at 12:00 AM JST - 17th July

Nice gesture, but the question is why not Pearl Harbor? That would have >been more meaningful. Guess their handlers thought it might stir up a >hornet's nest in Japan.

You couldn't be more wrong. "Pearl Harbor" means nothing to the Japanese in the way it does to us Americans. I have no doubt at all that the Pearl Harbor visit was scuttled because of American Veterans who still carry hatred for the Japanese, and old and small minority to be sure, but they are there, an "Imperial Visit" would have stirred up a hornet's nest in the U.S.
vajra at 01:02 AM JST - 17th July

Kudos to the Emperor & Empress appreciative of their action .
JohnBecker at 01:03 AM JST - 17th July

Translator: Ellison Onizuka did not "belong to" the U.S. Air Force, he was a "member" of the Air Force. And professor Carl Becker is not an "alumnae" of anything - he is an "alumnus". "Alumnae" refers to multiple female graduates.
OssanAmerica at 02:09 AM JST - 17th July

The ceremony featured a 21-gun salute with the firing of cannons and a >fly-by by U.S. military and Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force planes.

A ceremonial fly-by of meatballs over US territory?? Amazing how much things change in 64 years.
herefornow at 06:12 AM JST - 17th July

Good on them.