Today is the Japanese emperor's 70th birthday. It is a national holiday and we went to the palace, which is open to the public just twice a year, to hear his speech and see him wave at us. We were given little paper flags, so we could wave back. He appeared with his wife, their three children, and one of the princesses for about five minutes in a balcony above a surprisingly small crowd. Afterwards we presented our business cards to his attendants, who placed them into a special box.