Here in Japan we have to work on Christmas but today the 23rd we had a national holiday because it’s the 80th birthday of the Emperor. Akihito is the second Emperor of Japan that has reached 80 years old while being on the throne, just after his father Hirohito achieved the same feat.
Apart from having a free day, if you went near the Imperial Palace you had the opportunity to see the Emperor greeting the commoners.
Source: Mainichi.
Other posts about the Emperor: