Tens of thousands cheer emperor's 20th year on throne

holy wow... i didn't realize it went back as far as 660BC!!

In a rare news conference before the anniversary, the 75-year-old monarch said he is concerned that Japanese will forget their past.

Finally, someone in a position of "authority" said it (although ceremonial position). Maybe politicians will take note? Wishful thinking?

celebrating 20years of a person who was born into a position, who has no power, is only there to make speaches and open events when the government approves it. Whose life is controlled by the government. All in the name of "our culture and history" whoopy, hope you have another happy 20years.

Im with you diggerdog. Total waste of time and took up way too much time on the tube that could have been filled with celebreties watching other celebrities saying "oishiiiiiii" about some horrid concoction that would take 3 horses to eat. There is really no reason for this family to have any titles at all. They hold no power, and play no important role in Japan outside of everyone listens to him. (Which could easily be replaced by random gravure idol no. 12974239 on a television commercial)

Wasted so much news time last night that I had to go to NHK to see the weather. I agree with dark: gravure idols all the way

It was on every damn channel at the same time last night. Why did they get those chinpira clowns from Exile to sing for the Emperor? They should have got someone nice like Ryo Ishikawa or Kiyoshi Hikawa.

may be a waste of time to foreigners but it has only been 70 or so years since the emperor was still considered divine. cut them some slack, it's tradition and culture and history.

some foreigners like to come here and then think they understand the country after a year or a few of living here, and proceed to complain and want to do away with anything they don't or can't understand. very childish and completely ignorant.

as for the gravure idol lovers, if you love them so much,why not go all the way and just look at porn. it's much more revealing than seeing women in bathing suits. do you think people will see you as any less if you're looking at gravue idols or pron mags in the convenience store?

okay, first things first.... YOU ARE IN JAPAN, CONFORM TO THEIR CULTURE..... the emperor of Japan may not seem to have any power, but you have to realize that he symbolizes ancient Japan, and the Japanese culture, customs, and history. Stop complaining and realize that you are in a foreign country, not yours. Get used to their culture, and stop trying to force yours on them. Don't tell me that they are trying to force theirs upon you, they didn't make you come to Japan.

I have nothing in particular against the monarch (who I was happy to see looked very genki on the tube) but I couldn't help but get the feeling that the TV networks and vernacular media were getting their collective arms twisted to provide obligatory coverage, simply because most of the population prefers watching Beat Takeshi or some silly "owarai bangumi." NHK interviewed a stream of overjoyed old ladies one after the next. It was not the least bit convincing.

“What worries me most is that the history of the past will gradually be forgotten,” he said

Most people don`t know the truth anyway.

that was a quick 20 years...i remember when his dad kicked

They were looked to as purest of gods for hundreds of years. Monarchy always facinated me... England, Thailand, Saudi... Guess its better than anarchy. As for a few bashings above... I would say democracy and the West formed modern Japan combined with their passion and do it as a group mentality. Tobacco, clothes, English, technology, oil, TV, movies, music, business, hell even bringing guns in the 1800s and Commodore Perry and his Black ships in 1853. Wow dude..how old are you?....

"okay, first things first.... "YOU ARE IN JAPAN, CONFORM TO THEIR CULTURE..... the emperor of Japan may not seem to have any power, but you have to realize that he symbolizes ancient Japan, and the Japanese culture, customs, and history. Stop complaining and realize that you are in a foreign country, not yours. Get used to their culture, and stop trying to force yours on them. Don't tell me that they are trying to force theirs upon you, they didn't make you come to Japan"

WTF, what a brazen post... when in Rome become a Roman works only in some places dude... gee youre a sensative one.... learn the language but pushing our culture on them. Ridiculous. Insane. Another poito..fly over Tokyo in a helicopter and they (Imperial Fam) must have 1/10th of Tokyo in land..... actually you cant fly over the palace. You get my point on this revered Fam...

Tens of thousands of well-wishers gathered outside Japan’s moat-ringed Imperial Palace—many shouting “Banzai,” a traditional wish for long life—to mark Thursday’s 20th anniversary of Emperor Akihito’s coronation to the world’s oldest throne.

Ah, Asians. Gotta love 'em.

Akihito, the King, May his reign be long.

Japan was built on the lives sacrificed in the past? The emperor himself has a slightly twisted view of history too it seems. Japan's enormous death toll was due to its own fanatical war-mongering. It was the efforts of those who rebuilt from the ashes that gave rise to "modern" Japan.

that wasnt a brazen post at all,it was frustration at a yobbo reaction to a celebration of what a lot of Japanese and foreigners deem a historically significant anniversary.Where is anybody pushing one culture on to another? And as to the size of their land,its the Emperor for goodness sake,you think he'd be better off in a squat out by the airport.....dude?

CONFORM TO THEIR CULTURE!!!!

Culture has nought to do with it. I am an anti-royalist across all cultures. Individually I bear no grudge, BUT the system that fantisizes about the specialness of people by birth or arranged marriage, warrants no sympathy from me.

The Privileged masquerading as commoners - now that's a laugh.

Oh, they are only a symbolic representation of all things good and cherishable in the county's past.

Or more likely they are used by those with agendas to preserve their own statuses and well-beings - to keep things as they are so as to speak.

Get a real job.

<sarcasm>... you know what, your're right, i think that you have the right to criticize a nation for celebrating something that is major part of their culture/history, i guess they should all change their minds because you said that you think it was ridiculous... wow.... if you don't like it, why did you move to Japan? </sarcasm>

Architrex - are you suggesting that if I'm not a royalist then why did I come to Japan?????? Now that's more than a lumpful with smiles. I'm an anti-royalist but I've visited/worked in England, Holland, Spain, Nepal(pre the royal demise) and Thailand. The fact that each of these countries has a monarchy ranks extremely low on my list of why not to go there.

And to further suggest that all should change their minds because of me - well you're really stretching the limits of word-mongering. More a reflection of your mindset methinks.

To believe as you seem to indicate, that all Japanese citizens are Royal lovers, is quite extra-ordinary. I know well 2 locals who believe deeply that the Emperor does not represent all that is good about Japan.

One, whose father died a miserable death in New Guinea in the war, sees the emperor as a symbol of wanton selfishness and destruction.

The other sees the emperor, amongst other things, as a link with the feudalistic and oppressive past - even to the point where she has complained to city officials for supporting Hina Doll festivals as a celebration of Past Imperial wrong doings.

Both people are respected community members, one a doctor the other a family court worker. Should they leave the country they were born into and love becasue they hold a view different to some?

If you read my original post carefully I said I hold no grudge against royal individuals, but blindly adhering to the past doesn't necessarily equate with right.

And yes you are right I can hold an honest opinion, but you are wrong if you think that in doing so diqualifies one from participating in a community.

You'd be better lifting your level of logic beyond the mundane.