The emperor's birthday

Video. The emperor's birthday

Thousands of well-wishers gathered at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on Wednesday (December 23) to celebrate Japanese figurehead’s 82nd birthday.

Thousands of well-wishers gathered at the Tokyo Imperial Palace on Wednesday (December 23) to celebrate Japanese figurehead’s 82nd birthday.

Some 23,000 well-wishers lined up, some from the break of the dawn, to march together into the Imperial Palace for a closer glimpse of Emperor Akihito, the Imperial Household Agency said.