23rd of December
Is a national holiday in the Japanese calendar celebrated on the birthday of the reigning Emperor, which is currently 23 December, as Emperor Ankihito was born on that day in 1933.
On the Emperor's birthday, a public ceremony takes place at the Imperial Palace, where the gates of the palace are opened to public traffic (the Imperial Palace is usually off limits to the public). The Emperor, accompanied by the Empress, and several other members of the imperial family appear on a palace balcony to acknowledge the birthday congratulations of crowds of festive well-wishers waving tiny Japanese flags. Only on this occasion and on 2 January may the general public enter the inner grounds of the Imperial Palace.
When the Emperor ceases his greeting, the crowd starts waving the flags again and the Imperial Family wave back.
Emperor Ankihito and Empress Michiko are outside of the Imperial Palace.
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