Tokyo - Japanese Emperor Akihito tearfully thanked his wife, Empress Michiko, for her support Friday as they marked their 50th wedding anniversary at their palace in Tokyo. While expressing heartfelt gratitude to well-wishers, the 75-year-old emperor said he felt bad about receiving congratulations from many citizens while the nation suffers through a recession.

The emperor choked up at a press conference as he looked back on the years he has spent with his wife, who was the first commoner to marry into Japan's imperial family.

Michiko, 74, said it was like a dream to be able to celebrate 50 years of marriage, recalling the day of her wedding when, she said, she was "full of anxiety and a lonesome feeling."

"She has offered tremendous support to me," Jiji Press quoted the emperor as saying.

The couple is to receive family members and other well-wishers at events throughout the day, the Imperial Household Agency said. (dpa)