Monday, July 18th 1921, 4 pm. From the harbour of Naples the Japanese flagship Katori bears off with its navy crew, with, aboard, His Imperial Highness and the crown prince Hirohito, thus ending the first visit of the Japanese Imperial family.
The visit ended rather quickly. Having spent the day before in Rome, visiting the Pope, the twenty year old prince, wearing the official uniform of the Imperial Navy, was saluted by the applauding crowd in Naples, while passing through Corso Umberto I, Via Depretis and the Town Hall square on his open carriage.
The city government, led by the Mayor Alberto Geremicca, made all the necessary arrangements so that the city could show its best self and everything went smoothly.
The rest of the visit included a tour of the archaeological site of Pompeii, a very interesting excursion for the young and well-educated Hirohito.
On Monday morning Captain Yamamoto met the Mayor in Palazzo San Giacomo and, as a display of appreciation and thankfulness from His highness, he conferred upon him the honour of Grand Officer of the Japanese Imperial Navy.
The program of the visit was full of events to attend and at 3,30 pm the Mayor attended the official departure ceremony, aboard the ship Katori, together with other civilian and military authorities. There, he was before the man who, 5 years later, would have ascended the Japanese Imperial throne, thus becoming, for his people, a descendant of the "great Sun goddess", Amaterasu-o-mi-kami.
Alberto Geremicca always held that honour dear, proudly wearing that rank, considering that if he ever visited Japan, among the privileges such rank involved, he would be entitled to be escorted by a cavalry regiment.
Area Cultura e Turismo Servizio Beni Culturali - Archivio Storico Municipale
Salita Pontenuovo, 31 - 80139 Napoli
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