Editing Hirohito (section)

====Visit to the United States====
[[File:Ford and Emperor1975.jpg|thumb|Empress Nagako, First Lady [[Betty Ford]], Emperor Hirohito, and President [[Gerald Ford]] at the White House before a state dinner held in honor of the Japanese head of state for the first time, 2 October 1975]]

In 1975, Hirohito and Nagako visited the United States for 14 days from 30 September to 14 October, at the invitation of President Gerald Ford. The visit was the first such event in US–Japanese history.{{efn|The reason a visit had not occurred prior to this was, in part, because the [[Act for Extraordinary Vicarious Execution of State Affairs]] had not yet been put into law. Despite this, visits to the United States had been planned in 1973 and 1974, but never occurred owing to lack of coordination.}} The United States Army, Navy and Air Force, as well as the Marine Corps and the Coast Guard honored the state visit. Before and after the visit, a series of terrorist attacks in Japan were caused by anti-American left-wing organizations such as the [[East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front]].

After arriving in [[Williamsburg, Virginia|Williamsburg]] on 30 September 1975, Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako stayed in the United States for two weeks.<ref>{{cite web |title=1975 saw Hirohito in Williamsburg |url=https://www.dailypress.com/news/dp-xpm-19890107-1989-01-07-8901070135-story.html |website=Daily Press |date=7 January 1989 |access-date=27 November 2022}}</ref> The official meeting with President Ford occurred on 2 October.<ref>[https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0204/7368373.pdf Ford Library Museum]</ref> On 3 October, Hirohito visited [[Arlington National Cemetery]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Times |first=Philip Shabecoff Special to The New York |date=4 October 1975 |title=At Arlington Cemetery, a Wreath From 'the Emperor and Empress of Japan' |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/04/archives/at-arlington-cemetery-a-wreath-from-the-emperor-and-empress-of.html |access-date=28 November 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> On 6 October, Emperor Hirohito and Empress Nagako visited Vice President and Mrs. Rockefeller at their home in [[Westchester County, New York]].<ref>{{cite news |date=6 October 1975 |title=A Rare Glimpse |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1975/10/06/archives/a-rare-glimpse.html |access-date=28 November 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

In a speech at the White House state dinner, Hirohito read, "Thanks to the United States for helping to rebuild Japan after the war." During his stay in Los Angeles, he visited [[Disneyland]], and a smiling photo next to [[Mickey Mouse]] adorned the newspapers,<ref>{{cite web |last=Moffat |first=Susan |date=20 June 1994 |title=Image-Building a Goal of Japan Emperor's Visit |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-06-20-mn-6343-story.html |access-date=3 February 2023 |website=Los Angeles Times}}</ref> and there was talk about the purchase of a Mickey Mouse watch. Two types of commemorative stamps and stamp sheets were issued on the day of their return to Japan{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}} which demonstrated that the visit had been a significant undertaking. This was the last visit of Emperor Shōwa to the United States. The official press conference held by the Emperor and Empress before and after their visit also marked a breakthrough.{{Citation needed|date=March 2020}}