Monarchies Today - Royalty around the globe: BREAKING: Japan's Emperor & Empress honored in Jubilee concert

Japanese Emperor Akihito & his wife Empress Michiko attended a concert on Tuesday last week, held at Tokyo' Imperial Palace's Eastern Gardens' Tokagakudo concert Hall in their honor. The concert celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary & 30-year-reign. Their three children also attended. The concert took place less than a month shy of Akihito's abdication in favor of his elder son, Naruhito & change of Era in Japan.

Emperor Akihito & Empress Michiko (from right) along with Crown Prince Naruhito & Crown Princess Masako (from left).

During the event numerous songs were performed, including the 1969-hit "Yoake-no-Scat" (=Scat in the break of the day) - which Michiko used to encourage her husband after his successful bypass-heart surgery in 2012; the well-known children's song "Furusatu" (which means 'hometown'); and another one, written by the Emperor & (its lyrics) composed by the Empress themselves.

Saori Yuki

Singer Saori Yuki performed the first song & tenor Gijin Yamamoto the third, while the children's song was sung by all participants at the concert's closure. Also the famous couple of artists Ryudo Uzaki (musicial) & Yoko Aki (lyricist, actress & novelist) participated. Their Majesties were seen to be moved by this dedication & joyfully applauded each performance.

Akihito & Michiko on their Imperial wedding, 10 April 1959.

The Imperial Couple reach their Diamond Wedding anniversary (/or 60 years of marriage) on Wednesday, April 10 (2019), while on April 30, Akihito, 85, becomes the first Emperor of Japan in more than two centuries to Abdicate the Chrysanthemum throne, paving the way to his 59-year-old son to succeed him (on May 1).

This month Their Majesties participate in a series of events & religious rituals, leading up to the Imperial transition. For Japan it will be the closure of it's current Heisei period (accorded to Akihito's 30-year-reign), and the beginning of the New Era, named 'Reiwa', which all official calendars will be include on an yearly basis during Naruhito's reign as (the 126th) Emperor of Japan.