This episode of Japan Screen Topics includes segments on Hirohito’s visit to the United States in 1975, the art of making robes from flowers, and Expo ‘75 in Okinawa. “Emperor Visits America” shows highlights from Hirohito’s visit to the United States in 1975. President Gerald Ford and First Lady Betty Ford greeted the emperor and empress, and hosted a state dinner in their honor. The imperial couple went to a football game and visited Disneyland in California as well as Hawaii. “Chrysanthemum Dolls” shows artists cultivating flowers and using them to craft clothing for mannequins. “International Expo Okinawa” features Expo ‘75, an international World’s Fair held on the island of Okinawa and meant, in part, to commemorate the American handover of the island to Japan in 1972. The theme was “the sea we would like to see,” and exhibits concentrated on the ocean and water. Japan Screen Topics was a monthly publicity series produced by the International Motion Picture Company for the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1961 to 1988. Now known as Japan Video Topics, the program continues to this day, distributed via Japanese embassies and consulates to organizations in over 100 countries.

TFC 1970s 1970’s seventies Japan Japanese Japanese culture Asian culture Asian American culture Asian-American culture

emperor empress Hirohito Showa Kojun Nagako Washington, D.C. United States America Gerald Ford

Ford, Gerald president Betty Ford Ford, Betty first lady White House state dinner football stadium Disneyland

Anaheim California Anaheim, CA Anaheim, California CA HI Hawaii chrysanthemum flower mum

bonsai art artistry artist costume mannequin doll international expo exposition

Okinawa cultural artifact tourism history boat ocean musician band dance Expo ‘75

Texas Museum of Asian Cultures Japanese Art Museum of Corpus Christi International Motion Picture Company IMPC