People

By Guy D. Garcia

"Diana fever should be kept in moderation and not allowed to become too excessive," cautioned the Tokyo Mainichi Simbun editorial. But the message of restraint was lost on even the writer's own newspaper, which festooned its pages with extravagant coverage of the six-day visit to Japan of Britain's Prince Charles and Diana. In Tokyo, 92,000 people showed up to catch a glimpse or a snapshot of the royal couple's motorcade. Diana, who left a wake of look-alike haircuts wherever she went, participated in a tea ceremony, donned an elegant kimono in Kyoto and attended a sumo-wrestling match. As always, Charles scored points for his unstiff reserve, but the irrepressible Diana at one point displayed her own brand of coy diplomacy. Having noticed a Japanese parliament member dozing while her husband addressed the Diet, the Princess later good-naturedly asked if he had been asleep or practicing Zen meditation. The politician smoothly replied that he had closed his eyes the better to listen to the prince's speech. Wry Di thanked him with a knowing chuckle.