JAPAN-EMPEROR/

Japan's Emperor Akihito (L) waves with Empress Michiko to well-wishers as he celebrates his 73rd birthday at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo December 23, 2006. Akihito expressed hope that mourning the country's war dead would lead to a correct understanding of the wartime past, but avoided touching on how people should show their respects. REUTERS/Kiyoshi Ota (JAPAN)