Japan's emperor thanks people for support in his 30-yr reign at ceremony

Emperor Akihito thanked the Japanese people Sunday for their support in carrying out his duties and expressed appreciation for their "strong wish for peace" that led the country to experience no war over the past 30 years under his reign."It was fortunate that I have been able to undertake duties with the help of people," the 85-year-old emperor said in a government-sponsored ceremony marking his reign held at the National Theatre of Japan in Tokyo before his abdication scheduled for April 30. About 1,100 people, including foreign ambassadors, attended the event.He expressed gratitude to "t…READ FULL ARTICLE