OSAKA, Japan -- Britain's Prince Charles and Princess Diana began a six-day visit to Japan Thursday amid tight security and intense 'Diane Fever' heightened by speculation the princess might be pregnant.
More than 7,000 police were mobilized to patrol Osaka during the royal couple's two-day visit to the bustling commercial city 250 miles southwest of Tokyo. Security was tight to prevent disruptions by Japanese radicals who this week launched an unsuccessful rocket attack to disrupt the Tokyo summit.
Charles, 37, and Diana, 24, arrived Thursday night at Osaka's international airport and were met by a welcoming party that included Japan's Prince Hiro, the eldest grandson of Emperor Hirohito, British Ambassador to Japan Sir Sydney Giffard and several Japanese women who curtsied to the royal couple.
British reporters and photographers vied for space on the tarmac with Japanese journalists as the princess, wearing a white coat-dress with pencil-thin navy stripes, and the prince, in a charcoal grey suit with blue shirt and pale yellow pants, left the Royal Air Force VC-10 jet.
Millions of curious Japanese, who have been hit by intense 'Diana Fever' in anticipation of the visit, watched a live telecast of the arrival ceremonies.
Japanese bookstores are full of publications on the couple and television has broadcast a series of shows about them. A telephone company issued credit cards with Diana's photo, a design house came out with a special line of 'Diana fashions' and a Tokyo pinball parlor changed its name to 'The Diana.'
In addition, Diana fainted Wednesday at the Vancouver Expo in Canada, prompting speculation she might again be pregnant. The princess denied she was pregnant. The couple has two children.
It was Diana's first trip to Japan. Charles visited in 1970 to attend the Osaka world exposition.
During their two days in western Japan, Charles and Diana will stay at the 131-year-old Kyoto Imperial Palace, and tour the city's Shugaku-in Imperial villa and several Buddhist temples.
They fly to Tokyo Saturday, where they will meet with Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone and have an audience with Emperor Hirohito, who like Charles's mother, Queen Elizabeth II, is a ceremonial head of state.
They will also make goodwill visits to a downtown department store and trips to see a Kabuki play and a Sumo wrestling match.
