Record for Japanese emperor Akihito

Emperor Akihito of Japan spoke his latest New Year's greetings from the balcony of the Imperial Palace in Tokyo on Wednesday for a record number of 154,800 people.

'I hope that this year will be a good year for as many people as possible,' said the Emperor, who, with his wife, Empress Michiko and other members of the imperial family, swung the crowd behind bulletproof glass. 'At the beginning of the year I pray for the peace and happiness of the people in our country and the world. '