More than 82,000 well-wishers paid their respects to Emperor Akihito, who turned 85 on Sunday, his last birthday celebration at the Imperial Palace before stepping down next year.
The birthday of the Emperor, whose position is ceremonial with no political power, is traditionally marked by a national holiday and an address at the palace, which opens to the public on the day.
The crowd of 82,850, according to the Imperial Household Agency, was the largest birthday attendance during Emperor Akihito’s three-decade reign, known as the “Heisei” era, which means ”achieving peace” in Japanese. “My thoughts go out to those who have lost family members or those close to them, or have suffered damage and whose lives are currently impaired,” he said, referring to the natural disasters that hit Japan in the past year.
Earthquakes, severe storms and heatwaves killed hundreds of people, destroyed homes and disrupted supply chains, clouding the outlook for Japan’s export-reliant economy.
