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Babauta: Be somber during imperial visit
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Posted on Jun 16 2005
Gov. Juan N. Babauta has formally asked the public to be “somber” during the visit of Japanese imperial couple Akihito and Michiko on Saipan at end of this month.
He said this to show respect to the imperial visitors, whose trip to the island on June 27 and 28 is mainly “to honor the war dead” of World War II.
“This is solemn. Let’s be somber as their majesties do their historic visit to the island,” he said during Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting.
The Japan’s Imperial Household Agency said that the imperial couple will depart from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport on the afternoon of June 27. They are to spend Monday evening at Hotel Nikko Saipan in San Roque.
On Tuesday morning, June 28, the emperor and empress will first visit the Monument of the War Dead in Marpi. They will proceed further north to Banzai Cliff and Suicide Cliff.
From there, the imperial couple will be driven to Garapan to visit the Marianas Memorial, which honors the Chamorro and Carolinian people who died during the Battle of Saipan, and the American World War II Memorial at the Flag Circle and Court of Honor located at American Memorial Park.
The couple will go back to Hotel Nikko Saipan for a luncheon gathering.
In the afternoon, the imperial couple will pay a visit to the Office of Aging’s Man’amko Center to interact with Saipan’s elderly, many of whom were alive during the Battle of Saipan 61 years ago.
The emperor and empress will return to Japan Tuesday afternoon.
