KYODO NEWS SERVICE
The popularity of the telephone gets a boost with the wedding of the Crown Prince (the present Emperor). In the mid-fifties phone calls are often not connected immediately when dialed, and individual phone exchanges are still mounting 'Zero connection delay' campaigns. In 1958, the telephone in the Shoda household plays a major role in the romance between the Crown Prince and the Crown Princess-to-be Michiko (the present Empress), and the public impression of the importance of the telephone gains stature.