public holiday in Japan
were established by the of 1948 (as amended). A provision of the law establishes that when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day shall become a public holiday, known as . Additionally, any day that falls between two other na ...
on 11 February, celebrating the foundation of Japan, enforced by a specific Cabinet Order set in 1966. 11 February is the accession date of the
legendary
Legendary may refer to:
* Legend, a folklore genre
* Legendary (hagiography)
** Anjou Legendarium
* J. R. R. Tolkien's legendarium
Film and television
* ''Legendary'' (film), a 2010 American sports drama film
* ''Legendary'', a 2013 film fea ...
first
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...
,
Emperor Jimmu
was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the '' Nihon Shoki'' and '' Kojiki''. His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture" Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
of
660 BC
The year 660 BC was a year of the pre-Julian Roman calendar. In the Roman Empire, it was known as year 94 '' Ab urbe condita'' . The denomination 660 BC for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the Anno Domini calendar e ...
which is written in ''
Kojiki
The , also sometimes read as or , is an early Japanese chronicle of myths, legends, hymns, genealogies, oral traditions, and semi-historical accounts down to 641 concerning the origin of the Japanese archipelago, the , and the Japanese imperia ...
'' and chapter 3 of '' Nihon Shoki.'' Coincidentally, 11 February 1889 is the day of the promulgation of the
Meiji Constitution
The Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Kyūjitai: ; Shinjitai: , ), known informally as the Meiji Constitution (, ''Meiji Kenpō''), was the constitution of the Empire of Japan which was proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in for ...
.
History
The origin of National Foundation Day is
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
in the traditional
lunisolar calendar
A lunisolar calendar is a calendar in many cultures, combining lunar calendars and solar calendars. The date of Lunisolar calendars therefore indicates both the Moon phase and the time of the solar year, that is the position of the Sun in the Ea ...
. On that day, the foundation of Japan by the legendary Emperor Jimmu was celebrated based on the '' Nihon Shoki'', which states that Emperor Jimmu ascended to the throne on the first day of the first month. There is, however, no compelling historical evidence that the legendary Emperor Jimmu actually existed.
Emperor Ankō
(401 — 24 September 456) was the 20th legendary Emperor of Japan,Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 安康天皇 (20) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession. Emperor Ankō is the earliest generally agreed u ...
(401 - 456) is the earliest generally agreed upon historical ruler of Japan. During the
Kofun period
The is an era in the history of Japan from about 300 to 538 AD (the date of the introduction of Buddhism), following the Yayoi period. The Kofun and the subsequent Asuka periods are sometimes collectively called the Yamato period. This period is ...
(300 - 538),
Yamato
was originally the area around today's Sakurai City in Nara Prefecture of Japan, which became Yamato Province and by extension a name for the whole of Japan.
Yamato is also the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan.
Japanese his ...
was the first central government of the unified state in the
Kinai
is a Japanese term denoting an ancient division of the country. ''Kinai'' is a name for the ancient provinces around the capital Nara and Heian-kyō. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Kinai''" in . The five provinces were called ''go-kinai ...
region of central Japan.
In the
Meiji period
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
, the
government of Meiji Japan
The was the government that was formed by politicians of the Satsuma Domain and Chōshū Domain in the 1860s. The Meiji government was the early government of the Empire of Japan.
Politicians of the Meiji government were known as the Meiji oli ...
designated the day as a national holiday due to the modernization of Japan by the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
. Under the ''
bakufu
, officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
'', people in Japan worshiped the emperors as living gods, but regional loyalties were just as strong as national loyalties with most people feeling an equal or a stronger loyalty to whatever ''
daimyō
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...
'' ("lord") that ruled over their province as they did to the
shōgun
, officially , was the title of the military dictators of Japan during most of the period spanning from 1185 to 1868. Nominally appointed by the Emperor, shoguns were usually the de facto rulers of the country, though during part of the Kamakur ...
who ruled from distant
Edo
Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo.
Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...
, let alone the emperor who reigned in the equally distant city of
Kyoto
Kyoto (; Japanese: , ''Kyōto'' ), officially , is the capital city of Kyoto Prefecture in Japan. Located in the Kansai region on the island of Honshu, Kyoto forms a part of the Keihanshin metropolitan area along with Osaka and Kobe. , the ci ...
. Moreover, Shintoism has a number of deities, and until the Meiji Restoration, the emperors were just one of many Shinto gods, and usually not the most important. During the Meiji period, the government went out of its way to promote the imperial cult of emperor-worship as a way of ensuring that loyalty to the national government in Tokyo would outweigh any regional loyalties. Moreover, the process of modernization in Meiji era Japan was intended only to ensure that Japan adopted Western technology, science and models of social organization, not the values of the West; it was a recurring fear of the government that the Japanese people might embrace Western values like democracy and individualism, which led the government to rigidly insist upon all Japanese were to hold the same values with any form of heterodoxy viewed as a threat to the ''
kokutai
is a concept in the Japanese language translatable as "system of government", "sovereignty", "national identity, essence and character", "national polity; body politic; national entity; basis for the Emperor's sovereignty; Japanese constituti ...
''. The American historian Carol Gluck noted that for the Japanese state in the Meiji era, "social conformity" was the highest value, with any form of dissent considered a major threat to the ''kokutai''.
Up to 1871, Japanese society was divided into four castes: the
samurai
were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...
, the merchants, the artisans and the peasants. The samurai were the dominant caste, but the sort of aggressive militarism embraced by the samurai was not embraced by the other castes, who legally speaking were not allowed to own weapons. One of the Meiji era reforms was the introduction of conscription with all able-bodied young men to serve in either the Army or the Navy when they turned 18, which required promoting the ideology of
Bushido
is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...
("the way of the warrior") to people who historically speaking had been encouraged to see war as the exclusive concern of the samurai. The imperial cult of emperor-worship was promoted both to ensure that everyone would be a part of the ''kokutai'' and to ensure that all men embraced ''
Bushido
is a moral code concerning samurai attitudes, behavior and lifestyle. There are multiple bushido types which evolved significantly through history. Contemporary forms of bushido are still used in the social and economic organization of Japan. ...
'', and would willingly serve in the military. After conscription was introduced in 1873, a group of teenage rickshaw drivers and shop clerks were ordered to attend a lecture where they were informed that "Now that all men are samurai" that they were to show "manly obedience" by enlisting in the Army at once, which many objected to under the grounds that they did not come from samurai families.
The new holiday was brought in to help promote the imperial cult that underlined the concept of the ''kokutai''. This coincided with the switch from the lunisolar calendar to the
Gregorian calendar
The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It was introduced in October 1582 by Pope Gregory XIII as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian calendar. The principal change was to space leap years dif ...
in 1873. In 1872, when the holiday was originally proclaimed, it was 29 January of the Gregorian calendar, which corresponded to Lunar New Year of 1873. Contrary to the government's expectation, this led people to see the day as just Lunar New Year, instead of the National Foundation Day. In response, the government moved the holiday to 11 February of the Gregorian calendar in 1873. The government stated that it corresponded to Emperor Jimmu's regnal day but did not publish the exact method of computation. 11 February was also the day when the
Constitution of the Empire of Japan
The Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Kyūjitai: ; Shinjitai: , ), known informally as the Meiji Constitution (, ''Meiji Kenpō''), was the constitution of the Empire of Japan which was proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in for ...
was proclaimed in 1889.
In its original form, the holiday was named , translated by one pre-war scholar as "Festival of the Accession of the First Emperor and the Foundation of the Empire". The national holiday was supported by those who believed that focusing national attention on the emperor would serve an unifying purpose, holding the ''kokutai'' together with all Japanese people united by their love of the god-emperor. Publicly linking his rule with the legendary first emperor, Jimmu, and thus the Sun Goddess
Amaterasu
Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...
,
Emperor Meiji
, also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figur ...
declared himself the one, true ruler of Japan. The claim that the emperors of Japan were gods was based upon their supposed descent from
Amaterasu
Amaterasu, also known as Amaterasu Ōmikami () or Ōhirume no Muchi no Kami (), is the goddess of the sun in Japanese mythology. One of the major deities (''kami'') of Shinto, she is also portrayed in Japan's earliest literary texts, the ''Kojik ...
, the most important of the Shinto gods and goddesses. With large parades and festivals, in its time, ''Kigensetsu'' was considered one of the four major holidays of Japan.
The holiday of ''Kigensetsu'' featured parades, athletic competitions, the public reading of poems, the handing out of sweets and buns to children, with the highlight of the ''Kigensetsu'' always being a rally where ordinary people would kowtow to a portrait of the emperor, which was followed up by the singing of the national anthem and patriotic speeches whose principal theme was always that Japan was a uniquely virtuous nation because of its rule by the god-emperors. ''Kigensetsu'' provided the model for school ceremonies, albeit on a smaller scale, as classes always began in Japan with the students bowing to a portrait of the emperor, and school graduations and the opening of new schools were conducted in a manner very similar to how ''Kigensetsu'' was celebrated. When students graduated in Japan, the principal and the teachers would always give speeches to the graduating class on the theme that Japan was a special nation because its emperors were gods, and it was the duty of every student to serve the god-emperor.
Reflecting the fact that for most Japanese people under the ''bakufu'' regional loyalties were stronger than national loyalties, in the 1880s and 1890s, there was some confusion in the rural areas of Japan about just what precisely ''Kigensetsu'' was meant to celebrate, with one deputy mayor of a small village in 1897 believing that ''Kigensetsu'' was Emperor Meiji's birthday. It was not until about 1900 that everyone in the rural areas of Japan finally understood the meaning of ''Kigensetsu''. Aizawa, the same deputy mayor who in 1897 who thought the holiday was Emperor Meiji's birthday, later become the mayor, in 1903 gave his first ''Kigensetsu'' speech at the local school, and in 1905 he organized a free banquet to go along with ''Kigensetsu'', which become an annual tradition in his village.
The slow penetration of ''Kigensetsu'' in the rural areas was due to the fact that the children of most peasants did not attend school or at least for very long, and it was only with the gradual establishment of a universal education system that the imperial cult caught on. Between the 1870s to the 1890s, all of the rural areas of Japan finally acquired a school, which allowed everyone to be educated. It was only about 1910 that ''Kigensetsu'' finally started to serve its purpose as a holiday that united the entire Japanese nation in loyalty to the emperor over the length and breadth of Japan. However, the government in Tokyo was as late as 1911 still chiding local officials in rural areas for including in ''Kigensetsu'' ceremonies to honor local Shinto gods, reminding them the purpose of ''Kigensetsu'' was to unite the Japanese nation in loyalty to the god-emperor in Tokyo, not honor local gods.
Given its reliance on the
State Shinto
was Imperial Japan's ideological use of the Japanese folk religion and traditions of Shinto. The state exercised control of shrine finances and training regimes for priests to strongly encourage Shinto practices that emphasized the Emperor as ...
, the nationalistic version of
Shinto
Shinto () is a religion from Japan. Classified as an East Asian religion by scholars of religion, its practitioners often regard it as Japan's indigenous religion and as a nature religion. Scholars sometimes call its practitioners ''Shintois ...
which is the traditional Japanese
ethnic religion
In religious studies, an ethnic religion is a religion or belief associated with a particular ethnic group. Ethnic religions are often distinguished from universal religions, such as Christianity or Islam, in which gaining converts is a pri ...
and its reinforcement of the Japanese nobility based on the
Japanese nationalism
is a form of nationalism that asserts the belief that the Japanese are a monolithic nation with a single immutable culture, and promotes the cultural unity of the Japanese. Over the last two centuries, it has encompassed a broad range of ideas a ...
and
militarism
Militarism is the belief or the desire of a government or a people that a state should maintain a strong military capability and to use it aggressively to expand national interests and/or values. It may also imply the glorification of the mili ...
, ''Kigensetsu'' was abolished following the
surrender of Japan
The surrender of the Empire of Japan in World War II was announced by Emperor Hirohito on 15 August and formally signed on 2 September 1945, bringing the war's hostilities to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy ...
following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. February 11 was also the day when General
Douglas MacArthur
Douglas MacArthur (26 January 18805 April 1964) was an American military leader who served as General of the Army for the United States, as well as a field marshal to the Philippine Army. He had served with distinction in World War I, was C ...
approved the draft version of the model
Constitution
A constitution is the aggregate of fundamental principles or established precedents that constitute the legal basis of a polity, organisation or other type of Legal entity, entity and commonly determine how that entity is to be governed.
When ...
in 1946.
The holiday was re-established as National Foundation Day in 1966 following the creation by Prime Minister
Eisaku Satō
was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister from 1964 to 1972. He is the third-longest serving Prime Minister, and ranks second in longest uninterrupted service as Prime Minister.
Satō entered the National Diet in 1949 as a membe ...
of an exploratory council that was chaired by civic reformer
Tsûsai Sugawara
was a Japanese social activist, business leader, writer, art patron, and occasional actor. In the West he is best known for his cameo appearances in several of the last films directed by Yasujirō Ozu.
Business Career
The son of a Kamakura railr ...
. Of the ten members of the council, seven voted to advise the prime minister to adopt the holiday; economist
Genichi Abe
Gen'ichi or Genichi (written: 源一, 厳一, 玄一 or 元一) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese businessman
*, Japanese botanist
*, Japanese engineer and statistician
*, ...
believed the commemoration should be absorbed into New Year's Day to lessen financial impact, author Seiichi Funahashi objected to governmental sponsorship of the holiday, and journalist
Sōichi Ōya
was a Japanese journalist noted for his research and commentaries on popular culture.
Biography
Born in what is now part of Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan where his father was a soy sauce brewer, Ōya showed an early interest in social issues, and aft ...
resigned from the group prior to its final meeting without contributing a vote. In addition, agronomist
Azuma Okuda Azuma may refer to:
Places
* Azuma, historical name for eastern Japan, now called Kantō and Tōhoku region
* Azuma, Gunma (Agatsuma), former village in Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
* Azuma, Gunma (Sawa), former village in Sawa Dist ...
included a separate opinion that the holiday should celebrate the land of Japan rather than glorify its people.
Though it was stripped of most of its overt references to the Emperor, National Foundation Day retained its association with patriotism and love of nation, sentiments which fell from favor following
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
. When Japan became a member of the
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
on 18 December 1956, the people regained much of their self-esteem and felt proud of their country.
Current practice
Meaning
National Foundation Day was added as a national holiday by the revision of the Public Holiday Law in 1966 (Showa 41), and was applied from 11 February 1967 (Showa 42). Article 2 of the Law Concerning National Holidays (Holiday Law, Law No. 178, 20 July 1948 (国民の祝日に関する法律) ) stipulates that the purpose of National Foundation Day is to:
This day is to commemorate the founding of the country, regardless of the day it was founded. The
Prime Minister of Japan
The prime minister of Japan (Japanese: 内閣総理大臣, Hepburn: ''Naikaku Sōri-Daijin'') is the head of government of Japan. The prime minister chairs the Cabinet of Japan and has the ability to select and dismiss its Ministers of Stat ...
makes speeches and statements about the importance of National Foundation Day. For example in 2018, former Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe
Shinzo Abe ( ; ja, 安倍 晋三, Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: , ; 21 September 1954 – 8 July 2022) was a Japanese politician who served as Prime Minister of Japan and President of the Liberal Democratic Party (Japan), President of the Lib ...
made an official statement:
Celebrations
In contrast with the events associated with earlier ''Kigensetsu'', celebrations for National Foundation Day are relatively moderate. During the post-war period and up to 2000, there were two opposing sentiments: a caution to prevent ultra-nationalism and a desire to revive cultural traditions. As such people generally didn't overtly express nationalism or patriotism in public. As a
public holiday
A public holiday, national holiday, or legal holiday is a holiday generally established by law and is usually a non-working day during the year.
Sovereign nations and territories observe holidays based on events of significance to their history, ...
, government offices, schools, banks, and many companies are closed.
On the day of the event, festivals such as the "kenkoku-sai" (建国祭) are held at (
Shinto shrines
A is a structure whose main purpose is to house ("enshrine") one or more ''kami'', the deities of the Shinto religion.
Overview
Structurally, a Shinto shrine typically comprises several buildings.
The '' honden''Also called (本殿, meani ...
and
Buddhist temples
A Buddhist temple or Buddhist monastery is the place of worship for Buddhists, the followers of Buddhism. They include the structures called vihara, chaitya, stupa, wat and pagoda in different regions and languages. Temples in Buddhism represent ...
). There is no government-sponsored ceremony. However, the "National Foundation Day Celebration Central Ceremony" sponsored by the "Japan's National Foundation Day Celebration" is held every year since 2020. There is also an ambassador's attendance. The "National Foundation Day Celebration" and the "Celebration Steering Committee" reorganized into "Japan's National Foundation Day Celebration" and hold their own ceremonies.
The
Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force
, abbreviated , also simply known as the Japanese Navy, is the maritime warfare branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. The JMSDF was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy (IJN) ...
has full dressing of self-defense ships moored at bases and general ports. They hoist the flag of the JMSDF and/or signal flags on MSDF ships and held for expressing good wishes on National Foundation Day. There are also illuminated ships after sunset.
Parades
The National Foundation Day Celebration Parade is held annually in
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
Omotesandō
is a Zelkova serrata, zelkova tree-lined avenue located in Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya and Minato, Tokyo, Minato, Tokyo, stretching from the Meiji Shrine entrance to Aoyama-dōri (Aoyama Street), where Omotesandō Station can be found.
History
Omot ...
->
Meiji Jingu
, is a Shinto shrine in Shibuya, Tokyo, that is dedicated to the deified spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife, Empress Shōken. The shrine does not contain the emperor's grave, which is located at Fushimi-momoyama, south of Kyoto.
History
Af ...
.
*Main event: a party to celebrate the founding of Japan (inside the Association of Shinto Shrines).
*Participants: the parade section has circa 6,750 people and the
Mikoshi
A is a sacred religious palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when ...
section around 6,000 people.
Related Japanese celebrations
Several historic events and Japanese celebrations coincide with 11 February.
*Tenchosetsu was a holiday from 1873 (Meiji 5) to 1948 (Showa 23). It was one of the four major festivals (
New Year
New Year is the time or day currently at which a new calendar year begins and the calendar's year count increments by one. Many cultures celebrate the event in some manner. In the Gregorian calendar, the most widely used calendar system to ...
(新年), Kigensetsu (紀元節), Tenchō-setsu (天長節), and Meiji-setsu (明治節)).
*The day of the imperial year of legendary
Emperor Jimmu
was the legendary first emperor of Japan according to the '' Nihon Shoki'' and '' Kojiki''. His ascension is traditionally dated as 660 BC.Kelly, Charles F"Kofun Culture" Nihon Shoki, 1 January, 660 BC was converted to the new calendar (Gregorian calendar), and 11 February was set as a holiday. Initially it was 29 January, but it was changed from the following year to 11 February. After the war, it was abolished because it did not fit the spirit of the
Constitution of Japan
The Constitution of Japan (Shinjitai: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn: ) is the constitution of Japan and the supreme law in the state. Written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japan, the constitution r ...
(1947), but it was revived in 1966 as "National Foundation Day".
*11 February 1937 (Showa 11), the Japanese
Order of Culture
The is a Japanese order, established on February 11, 1937. The order has one class only, and may be awarded to men and women for contributions to Japan's art, literature, science, technology, or anything related to culture in general; recipien ...
was established. The Order of Culture is presented to people in various fields who have made outstanding achievements in the development of culture.
*Three Cheers (万歳三唱), on February 11, 1889 (Meiji 22), the Three Cheers songs were performed for the first time at the commemorative ceremony of the promulgation of the
Meiji Constitution
The Constitution of the Empire of Japan (Kyūjitai: ; Shinjitai: , ), known informally as the Meiji Constitution (, ''Meiji Kenpō''), was the constitution of the Empire of Japan which was proclaimed on February 11, 1889, and remained in for ...
.
*
Emperor Seinei
(444 — 27 February 484) was the 22nd legendary Emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 清寧天皇 (22) retrieved 2013-8-28. according to the traditional order of succession.
No firm dates can be assigned to this Emperor's ...
order of succession
An order of succession or right of succession is the line of individuals necessitated to hold a high office when it becomes vacated such as head of state or an honour such as a title of nobility.Sendai
is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, desig ...
,
Tokyo
Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
,
Osaka
is a designated city in the Kansai region of Honshu in Japan. It is the capital of and most populous city in Osaka Prefecture, and the third most populous city in Japan, following Special wards of Tokyo and Yokohama. With a population of 2. ...
, and
Hiroshima
is the capital of Hiroshima Prefecture in Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 1,199,391. The gross domestic product (GDP) in Greater Hiroshima, Hiroshima Urban Employment Area, was US$61.3 billion as of 2010. Kazumi Matsui h ...
as a "public hearing on National Foundation Day" (two members each participated).
In the report to the inquiry from Prime Minister
Eisaku Sato
Eisaku (written: , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese manga artist
*, Japanese politician and Prime Minister of Japan
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese shogi player
*, Japanese painter
*, ...
(published in the official bulletin material version No. 453 dated 28 December 1966), he was appointed as chairman and deputy chairman. Regardless, the committee members described their individual opinions in alphabetical order.
Committee members
*
Tsûsai Sugawara
was a Japanese social activist, business leader, writer, art patron, and occasional actor. In the West he is best known for his cameo appearances in several of the last films directed by Yasujirō Ozu.
Business Career
The son of a Kamakura railr ...
(Chairman. attended all sessions. 11 February)
* Tadashi Yoshimura (Deputy Chairman. attended all sessions. 11 February)
*
Genichi Abe
Gen'ichi or Genichi (written: 源一, 厳一, 玄一 or 元一) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese footballer
*, Japanese businessman
*, Japanese botanist
*, Japanese engineer and statistician
*, ...
(absent only at the 5th meeting. Holidays are not desirable. 1 January is safe if you force it)
*
Sōichi Ōya
was a Japanese journalist noted for his research and commentaries on popular culture.
Biography
Born in what is now part of Takatsuki, Osaka, Japan where his father was a soy sauce brewer, Ōya showed an early interest in social issues, and aft ...
(attended only at the 2nd meeting. No individual opinion stated in the report due to resignation just before the final 9th meeting)
*
Azuma Okuda Azuma may refer to:
Places
* Azuma, historical name for eastern Japan, now called Kantō and Tōhoku region
* Azuma, Gunma (Agatsuma), former village in Agatsuma District, Gunma Prefecture, Japan
* Azuma, Gunma (Sawa), former village in Sawa Dist ...
(attended all sessions. Spring day. Focus on the land, not the human society)
* Shigeo Oketani (absent only from the first meeting. 11 February)
* Shigeru Sakakibara (attended all sessions. 11 February)
* Shigeko Tanabe (absent only at the 6th meeting. 11 February)
*
Funahashi Seiichi
was a Japanese writer of short stories, novellas, novels and stage plays, active in the Shōwa period.
Biography
Funahashi was born in what is now part of Sumida, Tokyo, where his father was an assistant professor of engineering at Tokyo Impe ...
(attended all sessions. 11 February, provided that it is not a government event)
*
Masatoshi Matsushita
Masatoshi (written: , , , , , , , , , , , , or ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese film director
*, Japanese politician
*, Japanese comedian
*, Japanese samurai
*, Japanes ...
(absent only from the 1st, 2nd and 6th meetings. 11 February)
Opinion poll on National Foundation Day
An
opinion poll
An opinion poll, often simply referred to as a survey or a poll (although strictly a poll is an actual election) is a human research survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions ...
was conducted by the Public Relations Office of the Prime Minister's Office at the request of the National Foundation Day Council. Published in the official bulletin material version No. 449 dated 30 November 1966.
Added each party proposal (Liberal Democratic Party: 11 February, Socialist Party: 3 May,
Komeito
, formerly New Komeito and abbreviated NKP, is a conservative political party in Japan founded by lay members of the Buddhist Japanese new religious movement Soka Gakkai in 1964. Since 2012, it has served in government as the junior coalitio ...
: 28 April, Democratic Socialist Party: 3 April) to the options.
From 2 September to 6 October of the same year, an interview was conducted by a researcher at the Central Research Services, Inc., targeting 10,000 men and women over the age of 20 (valid collection slip: 8,700).
Reported to the 6th meeting on 4 November 1966. Nearly half of all respondents (47.4%) favoured 11 February as the date of National Foundation Day similar to the original Kigensetsu.
# 11 February-Original Kigensetsu day: 47.4% (4,124 people)
# Anytime: 12.1% (1,053 people)
# 3 May -- 1948 (Showa 23) 3 May:
Constitution Memorial Day
is a public holiday in Japan. It takes place on May 3 in celebration of the enactment of the 1947 Constitution of Japan. It is a part of the collection of holidays known as Golden Week.
History
After the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 19 ...
Prince Shotoku
A prince is a male ruler (ranked below a king, grand prince, and grand duke) or a male member of a monarch's or former monarch's family. ''Prince'' is also a title of nobility (often highest), often hereditary, in some European states. The ...
's Seventeen-Article Constitution promulgated:
Empress Suiko
(554 – 15 April 628) was the 33rd monarch of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 推古天皇 (33)/ref> according to the traditional order of succession.
Suiko reigned from 593 until her death in 628.
In the history of Japan ...
3 April 2012 (Julian calendar 6 May 604): 6.1% (529 people)
# 28 April-28 April 1952:
San Francisco Peace Treaty
The , also called the , re-established peaceful relations between Japan and the Allied Powers on behalf of the United Nations by ending the legal state of war and providing for redress for hostile actions up to and including World War II. It w ...
Effective Date: 5.8% (507 people)
# Those who answered the season, month, etc. instead of a specific day (spring, autumn, April, September, etc.): 3.1% (271 people)
# Those who answered inconsistently with the purpose of the question ("(Government) opposes setting National Foundation Day (as a
national holiday National holiday may refer to:
* National day, a day when a nation celebrates a very important event in its history, such as its establishment
*Public holiday, a holiday established by law, usually a day off for at least a portion of the workforce, ...
)"): 2.1% (186 people)
# 15 August: 2.1% (183 people)
# Other days (
Lunar New Year
Lunar New Year is the beginning of a calendar year whose months are moon cycles, based on the lunar calendar or lunisolar calendar.
The Lunar New Year as a celebration is observed by numerous cultures. It is also named " Chinese New Year" becau ...
, 1 April, 3 November, etc.): 1.4% (124 people)
#
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
: 1.3% (109 people)
# Lichun Day: 0.5% (43 people)
# Genshisai (shinto festival of origins) (元始祭): 0.1% (11 people)
See also
*
Japanese imperial year
The , colloquially known as the or "national calendar year" is a unique calendar system in Japan. It is based on the legendary foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu in 660 BC. ''Kōki'' emphasizes the long history of Japan and the Imperial dynas ...