TOKYO: A record crowd paid their respects to Japan’s 84-year-old Emperor Akihito at Tokyo’s Imperial Palace on Saturday, in his first birthday celebration since the date of his abdication was set. The emperor’s birthday is traditionally marked by a national holiday and an address at the Imperial Palace, which opens to the public on the day. People wave national flags to celebrate the 84th birthday of Japanese Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. The last time a Japanese emperor abdicated was in 1817. Throughout his reign, Akihito has consistently urged the Japanese never to forget the horrors of war.

Source: New Strait Times December 23, 2017 09:22 UTC