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Almost 45,000 Gather in Tokyo to See Japanese Emperor's New Year Appearance

© AFP 2023 / KAZUHIRO NOGI Japanese Emperor Akihito (C) and Empress Michiko (7th R) greet well-wishers with other members of the royal family from the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2, 2016
Japanese Emperor Akihito (C) and Empress Michiko (7th R) greet well-wishers with other members of the royal family from the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on January 2, 2016 - Sputnik International
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Almost 45,000 have gathered at the Imperial Palace in the Japanese capital in the first half of Saturday to witness the New Year appearance of Emperor Akihito, NHK TV reports.

TOKYO (Sputnik) –  The emperor’s first appearance took place at 09:30 local time (00:30 GMT). 

Akihito was joined by his wife, Empress Michiko, and Crown Prince Naruhito, as well as other members of the imperial family. In total, they are scheduled to make five appearances on Saturday.

Standing behind bullet-proof glass, the emperor addressed the crowd, expressing hope for peace in Japan and the world as a whole.

Akihito has been Emperor of Japan since January 7, 1989. The Japanese Emperor is a ceremonial head of state whose powers are limited to ceremonial functions.

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