By AYAKO NAKADA/ Staff Writer
July 5, 2024 at 15:24 JST
Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako walk in front of British motorcycle police officers at the Royal Air Force Brize Norton in the suburbs of London on June 28. (Pool)
The head of the Imperial Household Agency and a former top law enforcement official himself had nothing but praise for the British motorcycle police's service during the imperial couple's state visit to Britain.
Yasuhiko Nishimura complimented the police officers for their “divine traffic control” during Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako’s visit at a news conference on July 4.
Nishimura, who has held a number of important posts including superintendent general of the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, said, “As a long-time police officer, I was impressed by the traffic control.”
He added, “I don’t think the same could be done in Japan,” and expressed his gratitude to all those—both in Japan and Britain—who made the imperial couple’s visit possible.
During the visit from June 22 to 29, vehicular traffic was halted in the vicinity of the motorcade route.
According to an Imperial Household Agency senior official who accompanied the imperial couple, the police officers led a convoy of vehicles transporting the emperor and empress and their entourage.
Unlike the Japanese traffic control system, the British motorcycle police “boldly guided the convoy through crowded streets,” the official said.
Multiple motorcycle police officers deftly coordinated with each other and stopped public vehicles briefly on streets and at intersections so that the convoy could pass through unimpeded.
On the evening of June 28, the imperial couple departed the Royal Air Force Brize Norton air station in a suburb of London to return to Japan on a government plane.
Before boarding the plane, the emperor and empress called out to each of the eight motorcycle police officers and others and shook hands with them.
Nishimura said he felt the close relationship between Naruhito and King Charles during the visit, describing it as, “They are truly like brothers.”
The Imperial Household Agency head added, “The friendship and cooperative relationship between the two countries has been further deepened” by the state visit.
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