Visitors - The "Soviet" connection (take #2)

On September 1, 1925 the Polikarpov R1-M5 registered R-RMPA flown by famous Soviet aviator Mikhail Mikhaylovich Gromov landed at Tokorozawa airfield. Information is very scant on the net but it seems that a group of seven Polikarpov R1s one Polikarpov PM-1 and one Polikarpov R-2 took off from Moscow on a friendship flight to Peking and Tokyo on June 10, 1925. One aircraft made an emergency landing in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi prefecture, the other reached successfully Tokyo. The crew members of these two aircraft were pilots Mikhail Gromov and Mikhail Volkovoinoff with engineers Evgenii Rodzewitch and Vasilii Kuznetsoff. They all received commemorative silver cups (ginpai).

The photos below are from a vintage publication.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The newspaper "Amsterdam NY Daily Democrat and Recorder" featured the following photo with a caption: 

"FLYER HOLDS DONOR INSTEAD OF GIFT - Michael Gromov flew from Moscow to Tokio where he was presented with a bouquet by Midori Motoori, Japanese singer. But as the crowd gave Michael an ovation, he mixed his signals and held up the singer instead of the flowers"

 

The same photo was featured in the October 4 issue of Chicago Tribune with the following caption:

"THE BRAVE DESERVE THE FAIR, said Michael Gromov after flying from Moscow to Tokio, whereupon he set on his shoulder a little Oriental admirer of his bravery, who came with an offering of flowers. The lady is Miss Midori Motoori, a Japanese singer who  has toured the United States. At the right is Victor Kopp, the Soviet ambassador at Tokio." 

 

Motoori Midori was the first singer of children songs in Japan, was the daughter of Motoori Nagayo, a famous composer of children songs in Japan. 

On this UTube link you can hear two splendid children songs sang by her amazing voice accompanied by her father playing the piano. The first song she is singing is the very famous children's song "The Blue-eyed doll"

Lyrics (translation by Yamagishi Katsuei):

"The beautiful blue-eyed doll was born
In America and it is made of celluloid
When she arrived at the Japanese port
Her eyes had long been filled with tears

“I don't understand the language.
What should I do if I get lost here? ”

Kindhearted Japanese girls, Oh please
Be friendly and hold her near"