Said to be the descendent of the sun goddess, the Japanese Emperor is the latest successor of a bloodline that has been unbroken for more than 1,500 years.
As Japan’s head of state, the Emperor lived in modest quarters, and governed the country peacefully.
Conversely, the shogun – whose duty, in principal, was to guard the Emperor – lived in a huge well-fortified castle, and, trading on the Imperial prestige, became the actual ruler.
However, the Imperial family could never be totally wiped out, as those in positions of power still paid homage to them.
Forces opposed to the shogun’s regime started up the “Meji Restoration” in 1868 and the Emperor was restored to power.
Japan set its sights on becoming a modern nation, however, the army became more influential and before long, the country began marching towards a future as a militaristic nation.
As a result, Japan started a war with China, and then took part in the Second World War.
Japan was defeated in the war and the late Emperor Showa (commonly known in the west as Hirohito) – grandfather of the present Emperor – ended the war on August 15, 1945.
The Emperor, who was regarded as a “living god,” declared that he was a human being on January 1, the following year.
After that the Tokyo Trials were held, which focused on deciding whether the Emperor was a war criminal.
It is said that the trial was greatly swayed by the Emperor’s personality and by the following words, delivered on meeting with Douglas MacARTHUR, the supreme commander of the allied powers:
As a person who bears full responsibility, I will leave the judgment up to the powers you represent.”
In consideration of the special feelings Japanese had for their Emperor, in the end, prosecutor Joseph KEENAN found him not guilty.
It is generally thought that the Emperor was neither a militarist, nor a puppet, rather, he struggled to avoid a war and to maintain peace.
On the day preceding his radio broadcast to announce the end of the war, he expressed his decision to the Imperial Court as follows:
“If the war continues, the structure of the nation and its future will be demolished, but conversely if there is an immediate ceasefire, the roots of future development will remain.”
As he predicted, postwar Japan achieved an astonishing economic recovery.
After the war the Japanese constitution was revised and the Emperor became a symbol for the Japanese people, no longer taking part in politics.
The Emperor also has a symbolic role in the Shinto religion, but surprisingly a Christmas event was held by the royal family in the Emperor Showa’s reign.
Japan uses both the Christian calendar and a unique calendar that resets to its first year to when a new Emperor is crowned.
Emperors do not have surnames, instead they are typically addressed by the name of their era, such as the “Emperor Showa” or the “Emperor Meiji.”
The Emperor has become a more familiar figure to his citizens these days, however, it is still taboo for the media to criticize him and in print or broadcasts it is customary to show respect by using special language to refer to him.
太陽の女神
taiyou no megami
the sun goddess
子孫
shison
(the) descendent
日本の天皇は
nihon no Tennnou ha
(the) Japanese Emperor
1500年
sen gohyaku nen
fifteen hundred years
一つの家系
hitotsu no kakei
a bloodline (that has been unbroken)
継承されてきました。
keishou sarete kimashita.
is the (latest) successor
天皇は、
tennnou ha,
(the) Emperor
元首
genshu
head of state
平和的に
heiwatekini
peacefully
まつりごとを行ってきました。
matsurigoto wo okonatte kimashita.
governed (the) country
本来
honrai
in principal
天皇の
tennnou no
(the) Emperor
護衛をすべき
goei wo subeki
to guard
任務に
ninmu ni
(whose) duty
将軍は、
shougun ha,
(the) shogun
強固な
kyoukona
well-fortified
皇室の
koushitsu no
Imperial
威厳を
igen wo
(the) prestige
利用しつつ
riyou shitsutsu
trading on
実質的な
jisshitsutekina
actual
支配者と
shihaisha to
(the) ruler
なっていました。
natte i mashita.
became
しかしながら
shikashi nagara
however
天皇家
tennnou’ke
them <the Imperial family>
敬意を払った
keii wo haratta
paid homage
天皇家が
tennnou’ke ga
(the) Imperial family
消滅させられることは
shoumetsu saserareru koto ha
wiped out
決してありませんでした。
kesshite arimasen deshita.
could never be
1868年、
sen happyaku rokujuu hachi nenn,
(in) eighteen sixty-eight [year]
幕府
bakufu
(the) shogun’s regime
反抗する
hannkou suru
opposed
勢力は
seiryoku ha
forces
「明治維新」を
“meiji ishin” wo
the Meji Restoration
起こし、
okoshi,
started up and
天皇は
tennnou ha
(the) Emperor
返り咲きます。
kaerizaki masu.
was restored
近代国家を
kindai’kokka wo
(a) modern nation
目指します
mezashi masu
set (its) sights on becoming
軍部が
gunnbu ga
(the) army
台頭して
taitou shite
became more influential and
軍事国家の
gunji’kokka no
(as a) militaristic nation
道を
michi wo
towards (a) future <road>
歩み始めました。
ayumi hajime mashita.
(the country) began marching
第二次世界大戦
dai’niji sekai’taisenn
the Second World War
参戦します。
sannsenn shimasu.
took part
敗れ、
yabure,
was defeated and
現天皇陛下
gen tennnou’heika
(the) present Emperor
昭和天皇
shouwa Tennnou
the (late) Emperor Showa
知られている)は
shirarete iru) ha
commonly known
1945年
sen kyuuhyaku yonjuu go nen
nineteen forty-five [year]
8月15日
hachi gatsu juu go nichi
August fifteenth
戦争を
sensou wo
(the) war
終わらせました。
owarase mashita.
ended
「現神様」
“ara’gamisama”
(a) living god
とされた
to sareta
(who) was regarded as
天皇は、
tennnou ha,
(the) Emperor
翌年の
yokutoshi no
(the) following year
1月1日
ichi gatsu tsuitachi
January first
人間宣言をします。
ningen’sengen wo shi masu.
declared that (he) was (a) human being
東京裁判が
toukyou saiban ga
(the) Tokyo Trials
行われ、
okonaware,
were held (which)
天皇に
tennnou ni
(the) Emperor
戦争責任がある
sensou’sekinin ga aru
was (a) war criminal
焦点になりました。
shouten ni nari mashita.
focused on
天皇の人柄
tennnou no hitogara
(the) Emperor’s personality
ダグラス・マッカーサー
dagurasu makka-sa
Douglas MacArthur
連合国軍最高司令官
rengoukoku’gunn saikou’shireikann
(the) supreme commander of (the) allied powers
語ったとされた
katatta to sareta
delivered
次の言葉
tsugino kotoba
(the) following words
裁判に
saibann ni
(the) trial
大きな影響を与えた
ookina eikyou wo ataeta
was greatly swayed
いわれています。
iwarete i masu.
it is said
全責任を
“zen’sekinin wo
full responsibility
負う者
ou mono
(a) person who bears
私自身を
watashi jishin wo
I [myself ]
代表する
daihyou suru
represent
諸国の
shokoku no
the powers
採決にゆだねる」。
saiketsu ni yudaneru.”
will leave (the) judgment up to
日本人が
nihonjin ga
Japanese
天皇
tennnou
(their) Emperor
特別な感情を
tokubetsuna kanjou wo
(the) special feelings
考慮し、
kouryo shi,
in consideration of
結局、
kekkyoku,
in the end
ジョセフ・キーナン検事は
josefu ki-nann kenji ha
Joseph Keenan prosecutor
無罪とします。
muzai to shimasu.
found (him) not guilty
天皇は
tennnou ha
(the) Emperor
軍国主義者でもなく
gunkoku’shugisha demo naku
was neither (a) militarist
操り人形
ayatsuri’ningyou
(a) puppet
でもなく、
demo naku,
nor rather
戦争回避
sensou’kaihi
to avoid (a) war
和平を
wahei wo
to maintain peace
気にかけていた
ki ni kakete ita
(he) struggled
一般的に
ippantekini
generally
見られています。
mirarete i masu.
(it) is thought
終戦を
shuusen wo
(the) end of (the) war
ラジオ放送の
rajio housou no
(his) radio broadcast
前日、
zenjitsu,
(on) the day preceding
下記のように
kaki no youni
as follows
その決意を
sono ketsui wo
his <its> decision
御前会議
gozen’kaigi
(the) Imperial Court
述べました。
nobe mashita.
(he) expressed
「戦争を
“sensou wo
(the) war
継続すれば
keizoku sureba
continues if
国体
kokutai
(the) structure of (the) nation
国家の
kokka no
its <nation’s>
なくなる
nakunaru
will be demolished
これに反し、
koreni hanshi,
conversely
即時停戦
sokuji teisen
(an) immediate ceasefire
将来発展
shourai hatten
future development
根基は
konnki ha
(the) roots
その言葉通り、
sono kotoba doori
as he <it> predicted
驚異的な
kyouitekina
astonishing
経済復興を
keizai’fukkou wo
(an) economic recovery
成し遂げました。
nashitoge mashita.
achieved
戦後、
senngo,
after (the) war
日本国憲法は
nihonkoku’kenpou ha
(the) Japanese constitution
改訂され、
kaitei sare,
was revised and
天皇は
tennnou ha
(the) Emperor
日本国民
nihonn’kokuminn
(the) Japanese people
象徴
shouchou
(a) symbol
となり、
to nari,
became [and]
関与していません。
kanyo shite imasenn.
[not] taking part
天皇は
Tennnou wa/ha
(the) Emperor
神道
Shintou
(the) Shinto religion
象徴的存在
shouchouteki’sonzai
(a) symbolic role <existence>
意外にも
igai nimo
surprisingly
昭和天皇の時代
Shouwa Tennnou no jidai
the Emperor Showa’s reign <era>
クリスマスの行事が
Kurisumasu no gyouji ga
(a ) Christmas event
皇室
koushitsu
(the) royal family
行われていました。
okonawarete imashita.
was held
西暦
seireki
(the) Christian calendar
新しい天皇が
atarashii tennnou ga
(a) new Emperor
就任した
shuunin shita
when ~ is crowned
年を元年とする
toshi wo gannnen to suru
(that) resets to its first year to
独自の年号を
dokuji no nengou wo
(a) unique calendar <name of era>
使っています。
tsukatte imasu.
uses
天皇には
tennnou niha
Emperors
苗字が
myouji ga
surnames
一般的には
ippanteki niha
(instead ) typically
元号を
gengou wo
(the) name of (their) era
「昭和天皇」
“shouwa tennnou”
the Emperor Showa
「明治天皇」
“meiji tennnou”
(or) the Emperor Meiji
呼ばれます。
yobare masu.
(they) are addressed
今日では
konnnichi deha
these days
天皇は
tennnou ha
(the) Emperor
国民
kokumin
(his) citizens
親しまれる
shitashimareru
more familiar
存在に
sonzai ni
(a) figure
なりました
nari mashita
has become
メディア
medhia
(the) media
天皇を
tennnou wo
him <Emperor>
批判することは
hihann suru koto ha
to criticize
タブーで、
tabu- de,
(it) is (still) taboo and
放送したりする
housou shitari suru
broadcasts
特別な用語を
tokubetsuna yougo wo
special language (to refer to him)
表すことが
arawasu koto ga
to show
慣例です。
kanrei desu.
(it) is customary