Guido Masiero and Arturo Ferrarin display the Rome-Tokyo flight mascot…a ragged stuffed animal! 

More than 200,000 Japanese greeted the flyers when they reached their destination, and Emperor Yoshihito ordered forty two days of festivities to properly celebrate the Italian achievement. 

Continually showered with gifts and praise, the young aviators were the guests of honor at countless banquets and receptions.  Even the Japanese Empress wished to speak with them, and they were granted an audience at the Imperial Palace,  an honor bestowed on very few Japanese and even fewer foreigners. 

However, their feat did not cause much of a sensation at home.  Preoccupied with economic troubles and social unrest, few in post-war Italy seemed to appreciate what the flyers had done, and their return home went practically unnoticed.