tokyo record crowd pay respect japan 84-year-old emperor akihito tokyo imperial palace saturday first birthday celebration since date abdication set emperor birthday traditionally mark national holiday address imperial palace open public day well-wishers wave small japanese flag hold smartphones emperor akihito whose position ceremonial political power address balcony flank wife members imperial family crowd 52,300 accord imperial household agency large birthday attendance akihito symbolic 29-year reign know heisei era mean achieve peace japanese day face cold thoughts go suffer typhoons heavy rain well victims great east japan earthquake continue lead difficult live say refer 2011 earthquake tsunami kill displace tens thousands country eastern seaboard along empress michiko akihito spend much reign address legacy world war two fight name father hirohito console victims disasters 2011 earthquake early month 10-member imperial household council agree akihito would step april 30 2019 pass chrysanthemum throne eldest son crown prince naruhito comment make media akihito say would use remain days reign carry duties prepare pass torch next era akihito heart surgery treatment prostate cancer say last year fear would struggle fulfill royal duties due age japan pass law year allow step one-off provision exist law provide abdication last time japanese emperor abdicate 1817. throughout reign akihito consistently urge japanese never forget horrors war conciliatory remark contrast gesture make prime minister shinzo abe adopt less apologetic tone japan past military aggression japan 's emperor draw record birthday crowd prepare abdicate