Japan | Emperor greets public in final New Year’s appearance

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko greet well-wishers from the bullet-proofed balcony during his New Year’s public appearance with his family members at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo

Japanese Emperor Akihito waved yesterday to throngs of well- wishers eager to see his final New Year’s appearance before abdicating in several months.

“I am truly happy to celebrate the New Year with all of you under such cloudless skies,” the 85-year-old emperor told the crowd from a balcony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo.

Akihito has made annual New Year’s appearances with his wife, Empress Michiko, and other family members to wish peace for the nation.

Japanese media reported that more than 150,000 people attended, a record under Akihito’s reign. Many waited from early in the morning and waved Japanese flags when Akihito appeared.

Akihito succeeded his father, wartime Emperor Hirohito, in 1989, and will abdicate on April 30, with his elder son, Naruhito, ascending to the Chrysanthemum Throne.

Japan’s imperial family is far more cloistered than its Western counterparts, and Hirohito was once viewed as a god. Akihito strove to become a more accessible emperor. He was the first in modern history to marry a commoner, courting Michiko on the tennis courts. Both of his sons have married commoners.

His abdication is also a rarity. He announced his desire to step down in a video message, citing a worry about how well he could perform his duties as his health declined.

Akihito appeared to wobble during a palace event earlier this week to greet foreign dignitaries. Michiko reached out worriedly and held up his arm with hers.

Akihito’s three-decade reign is known in Japan as “Heisei,” with the first character meaning “peace.” A senior politician in the ruling coalition said yesterday that a name for the new era will be announced on April 1.

Crown Prince Naruhito appeared on the balcony with his wife, Masako, who was smiling and wearing a burgundy dress. She has missed some events over the years due to what palace officials have described as a stress-related illness, which is widely attributed to the pressures of palace life. AP