They might be from half a world away, but many Victorians were thrilled to get a glimpse of -- and for the luckiest, exchange a few words with -- Japan's Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko yesterday, on the second day of their visit to the city.

Hundreds lined the walkway leading to the legislature, where the couple made a brief visit as they neared the end of a 12-day Canadian tour that started July 3 in Ottawa.

Tiida Kern and Haruka Shin, both two, wore pink summer kimonos as they handed the emperor flowers when he passed.

He knelt down and asked Tiida how old she is, then shook the hand of the girl's mother, Shoko Kern, who was giddy with excitement afterward.

"[Tiida] will be here for a long time but I want her to experience Japanese culture," said Shoko, who moved here from Okinawa, Japan, nine years ago.

Premier Gordon Campbell earlier welcomed the royal couple into the legislature buildings, where they signed the guest book.

Although closely guarded by security, the emperor and his wife smiled and waved to the crowd, stopping often to shake hands and talk to people.

The emperor made his first visit to Victoria more than 50 years ago in 1953 as the crown prince, en route to the coronation of Queen Elizabeth.

This visit celebrates the 80th anniversary of Canada's first diplomatic mission in Japan, as well as the 20th year of Akihito's ascension to the throne and the couple's 50th wedding anniversary.

Eight-year-old Shota Yamamoto had a huge smile plastered on his face and readily offered up the story of his exchange with the two.

"I said, 'Konnichiha,' which means hello, and I waved and he said, 'Hello,'" said Yamamoto, who is going into Grade 4 at Glenlyon Norfolk School and takes Japanese lessons once a week. He was dressed in a traditional Japanese sports uniform called a "gi."

"It means a lot to me because I don't think I've ever seen an emperor before," he said. "It was very special."

His grandfather, 63-year-old Noriaki Zushi, said he is proud his grandchildren still embrace their Japanese roots.

Zushi said when he saw the 75-year-old emperor, he said, "I'm glad you're healthy," in Japanese, and the emperor responded with a nod and a thank you.

"They like to talk to people and engage them in conversation," said Sadaaki Numata, former Japanese ambassador to Canada and official spokesman for the trip.

He said in Japan, the royal couple regularly visits the people, contrary to western portrayals of a life behind imperial walls.

Even Victorians who are not of Japanese descent were moved by their encounter with royalty.

"They said, 'Thank you for letting us visit your country,' " said Cameron England, 12, who met the couple as a representative for Queen Alexandra Children's Hospital. "They are so nice and down to earth," said England, who has cerebral palsy.

His mother, Gillian England, said the couple's friendliness sends the message that "royalty are people just like anyone else."

The emperor and empress also met with about two dozen members of Vancouver Island's Japanese-Canadian community at Government House, including Eiko Eby, president of the Japanese-Canadian Society in Nanaimo.

"They were very warm and sincere," Eby said.

Akihito asked Eby's husband, biologist John Eby, about the state of the world's oceans, she said.

The emperor is a marine biologist and expert on the gobi fish who plans to visit the Institute of Ocean Sciences today.

The couple leaves for Japan Tuesday from Vancouver.

kderosa@tc.canwest.com