Hello, I am Yoshi from NILS Japanese language school. I forgot to introduce the last national holiday of the year! It is Tenno Tanjobi 天皇誕生日 or the Present Emperor’s birthday. The Present Emperor, Emperor Akihito was born on December 23, 1933. This day has been a national holiday since he ascended to the thorne in 1989. Although Japan is a constitutional monarchy, the Emperor is not the ruler but merely a symbol of the nation, and many Japanese have friendly and respectful feelings towards the Emperor. On his birthday, a large crowd of people gather to visit the Imperial Palace, which ordinarily is not open to the public. The Emperor and the other imperial family members appear on the palace balcony and greet hte visitors.

December 26th News, from NILS Japanese language school.