Emperor of Japan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Emperor of Japan |
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| 天皇 | |
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Imperial
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| Incumbent | |
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| Naruhito since 1 May 2019 |
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| Details | |
| Style | His Majesty |
| Heir presumptive | Fumihito |
| First monarch | Jimmu (mythical) Tenmu (first monarch using the title "Emperor") |
| Formation | February 11, 660 BC; 2684 years ago (mythical) |
| Residence | Tokyo Imperial Palace (official residence) |
The Emperor of Japan (called Tennō in Japanese) is the traditional ruler and head of state of Japan. The Emperor is seen as a symbol of Japan and its people. His role comes from the "will of the people."
The Emperor is also the head of the Shinto religion. Shinto believes the Emperor is a direct descendant of the sun goddess Amaterasu. People traditionally believe the Emperor's role began in the 7th century BC. However, the first emperors we know about from history appeared around the 5th or 6th centuries AD.
Historically, the Emperor's power changed a lot. Sometimes, he was a powerful ruler. Other times, he was mostly a ceremonial figure. From 1192 to 1867, powerful military leaders called shōguns usually held the real power. They were the actual rulers, even though the Emperor officially appointed them.
After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the Emperor gained more power. He was seen as the main source of authority. But since 1947, the Emperor's role is mostly ceremonial. He is the head of state but has no real political power. For example, he gives out national awards on behalf of the government.
Since the mid-1800s, the Emperor and his family have lived at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. This palace is in the heart of Tokyo, Japan's current capital. Before that, emperors lived in Kyoto for almost 1,100 years. The Emperor's Birthday (February 23) is a national holiday in Japan.
Naruhito is the current Emperor of Japan. He became Emperor on May 1, 2019. This happened when his father, Emperor Akihito, stepped down. Naruhito is the only monarch in the world today who holds the title of "Emperor."
Contents
The Emperor's Role in Government
In many countries with a king or queen, the monarch has some executive power. But in Japan, the Emperor does not have this power. The Constitution of Japan gives executive power to the Cabinet, led by the Prime Minister. The Emperor is also not the leader of Japan's military. The Prime Minister holds that role.
However, the Emperor is still Japan's official head of state to the world. He is a symbol of the country and its people's unity. He performs important duties for the state, but always with the advice of the Cabinet. The Cabinet is responsible to the Diet (Japan's parliament).
The Emperor has some important rights in state matters:
- He can be asked for his opinion before the Cabinet acts.
- He can encourage certain policies or actions.
- He can warn the Cabinet against certain actions.
These roles help keep Japan's democracy stable. They also help keep a shared national identity. To stay neutral, the Emperor is not allowed to make political statements.
The Emperor's main duty is to appoint the Prime Minister. The Diet chooses the Prime Minister. The Emperor also appoints the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. The Cabinet chooses the Chief Justice. The Emperor must accept these choices.
Other duties of the Emperor, listed in the Constitution, include:
- Announcing new laws and treaties.
- Calling meetings of the Diet.
- Dissolving the House of Representatives.
- Announcing general elections for the Diet.
- Confirming appointments of ministers and officials.
- Granting pardons or restoring rights.
- Giving out state honors and awards.
- Confirming international agreements.
- Receiving foreign diplomats.
- Performing ceremonial duties.
Regular ceremonies include the Imperial Investitures at the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Another is the Speech from the Throne ceremony in the National Diet Building. This speech opens regular and special sessions of the Diet.
Cultural Role of the Emperor
The Emperor is seen as the most important Shinto priest. This religious duty comes from the Niiname-sai festival. In this festival, the Emperor offers newly harvested rice to the gods. A special version of this, called Daijōsai, happens in the first year after a new Emperor takes the throne. This ceremony has been around for a very long time.
The Emperor's role also includes protecting Japanese traditions and culture. For example, the Utakai Hajime is an annual poetry competition led by the Emperor. The Empress and other imperial family members also support many groups and organizations. They travel around Japan to fulfill these roles.
In sports, the Emperor's Cup is a trophy given in many competitions. These include football, judo, volleyball, and sumo.
History of Emperors
The power of the Emperor has changed a lot throughout Japan's long history.
Early Emperors
According to old stories, Japan was founded by Emperor Jimmu a very long time ago. But most modern experts believe Jimmu and the first nine emperors are mythical. Emperor Sujin, the 10th emperor, might have been a real person. The reign of Emperor Kinmei (around 509–571 AD) is the first for which we have reliable dates.
Ancient tombs called kofun might hold clues about early rulers. These were built between the 3rd and 7th centuries AD. The Imperial Household Agency usually does not allow these tombs to be opened. They want to respect the spirits of past emperors.
In the early 7th century, the Emperor began to be called the "Son of Heaven." This title came from China.
Shoguns and Power Struggles (10th to 19th Century)
From the 10th century, the rise of the samurai class slowly weakened the Emperor's power. This led to times of instability. Emperors sometimes fought against the ruling shoguns. For example, Emperor Go-Toba rebelled in 1221. Emperor Go-Daigo tried to restore direct imperial rule in 1336. These events show the power struggle between the Imperial Court and the military governments.
For most of the time between 1192 and 1867, military leaders called shōguns held the real power. The Emperor officially gave them this power. When European explorers first came to Japan, they compared the Emperor to the Pope (a religious leader with symbolic authority). They compared the shogun to European rulers (who had real political power).
Meiji Restoration (1868)
In 1853, American ships arrived in Japan. Japan was not strong enough to stop them. This led to unfair treaties. The shogun's government seemed unable to handle these foreign visitors. Because of this, Emperor Kōmei began to take a more active political role.
In 1867, the last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, stepped down. He gave power back to Emperor Meiji. The Meiji Constitution was adopted in 1889. This constitution made the Emperor an active ruler with significant political power. He shared this power with an elected parliament called the Imperial Diet. Japanese citizens gained many rights and duties.
The constitution said the Emperor was "the head of the Empire." He had the right to approve laws and lead the military. When Emperor Meiji died in 1912, his son Emperor Taishō became Emperor. Because Taishō had health problems, much of the power shifted to the Imperial Diet. This time was known as the Taishō Democracy.
World War II (1937–1945)
Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) was Emperor during World War II. He was the head of state and the military. His role as head of the State Shinto religion was used to create an "Imperial cult." This led to extreme loyalty, like kamikaze bombers. After Japan's surrender, the Allies separated religion and state.
In 1946, Emperor Shōwa had to make a statement called the Humanity Declaration. In this, he denied being a "living god." However, some experts still debate what this truly meant. Emperor Shōwa was not put on trial for war crimes. His reign, from 1926 to 1989, was the longest of any Japanese emperor.
Modern Emperors (1978–Present)
Japanese Emperors have not visited Yasukuni Shrine since 1978. This was because it was found that Class-A war criminals were secretly honored there. Emperor Akihito and Naruhito have continued this boycott.
By 1979, Emperor Shōwa was the only monarch in the world with the title "Emperor." He was the longest-reigning Japanese monarch in history.
Journalist Makoto Inoue believes that Emperor Emeritus Akihito wanted to be closer to the people. He transformed the symbolic role of Emperor into a more human one. In 2019, 87% of people thought Akihito fulfilled his role well.
On April 30, 2019, Emperor Akihito stepped down due to health issues. This was the first time an Emperor had abdicated since 1817. His eldest son, Naruhito, became Emperor on May 1, 2019.
Current Constitution
In 1947, the post-war Constitution of Japan became law. It created a system where the government is led by a parliament. It also guarantees basic rights. Under this constitution, the Emperor is "the symbol of the State and of the unity of the people." He has a purely ceremonial role and no real power. This constitution was created under the Allied occupation after World War II. It replaced the older Meiji Constitution, which gave the Emperor much more power.
Imperial Lands and Wealth
Before World War II, the Japanese monarchy was very wealthy. There was no clear difference between the Emperor's official lands and his personal properties. In 1911, a law was passed to separate these. It created "hereditary" (crown) estates and "personal" properties.
Due to poor economic conditions in Japan, much of the crown lands were sold or given to the government in 1921. Many imperial villas and castles were also donated to cities. By 1935, the Imperial Court still owned a huge amount of land. The Emperor also had a large personal fortune, including investments in major Japanese companies.
After Japan's defeat in World War II, many branches of the imperial family were abolished. They had to sell their assets. The Emperor's personal fortune and most imperial lands were transferred to the state or private owners. Since 1947, the imperial family has been supported by money from the Japanese government.
Today, the main imperial properties include the two imperial palaces in Tokyo and Kyoto. There are also several imperial villas, farms, and game preserves. In 2017, Emperor Akihito's estimated wealth was about US$40 million. The cost of events for Emperor Naruhito's enthronement in 2019 was about $150 million.
Three Sacred Treasures
In Japanese mythology, the goddess Amaterasu gave three sacred treasures to her grandson, Ninigi-no-Mikoto. She sent him to Japan with these gifts. The Emperor uses these same or similar treasures. They show that the Emperor is a descendant of Amaterasu.
The three sacred treasures are:
- Yata no Kagami (a mirror)
- Yasakani no Magatama (a jewel)
- Kusanagi sword (a sword)
During the ceremony where a new Emperor takes the throne, having the jewel, sword, and mirror shows that he is the rightful ruler.
How Emperors are Chosen
The Japanese imperial family claims to have ruled "since forever." There are no records of an emperor who was not said to be related to previous ones.
For a long time, the Japanese imperial family had its own way of choosing the next ruler. It was not always the oldest son. Women were allowed to become empresses, but it was rare. Adoption was also possible, but the adopted child had to be from another branch of the imperial family.
Many emperors chose to step down (abdicate) instead of ruling until death. This happened more often than dying on the throne. They often retired after about ten years of service. Many emperors became rulers when they were very young, sometimes as young as 6 or 8 years old.
Before the Meiji Restoration, there were eleven reigns by empresses. All of them were daughters of the imperial family. None of them married or had children after becoming empress. Many empresses and emperors abdicated once a suitable male descendant was old enough to rule.
The 1889 Imperial Household Law said that only male descendants could become Emperor. If the Empress did not have a son, the Emperor could have a concubine, and her son could become the heir. This law was changed after World War II.
The current Imperial Household Law of 1947 still says that only male descendants can become Emperor. It also says that imperial princesses lose their royal status if they marry someone who is not from the imperial family. The Emperor and other imperial family members cannot adopt children.
Current Situation
The current law still prevents women from becoming Emperor. This rule was debated for a while. But then Princess Kiko gave birth to Prince Hisahito in 2006. He is the third in line to the throne under the current law.
Before Prince Hisahito's birth, there was concern about who would be next in line. After Princess Aiko was born in 2001, there was a public discussion about letting women inherit the throne. In 2005, a special group suggested changing the law to allow females to become empress. However, these plans were stopped after Princess Kiko announced her pregnancy.
Another idea is to allow unmarried men from older, abolished branches of the imperial family to rejoin. This would be a way to ensure there are enough male heirs.
Crown Prince Akishino was officially declared first in line to the throne on November 8, 2020.
Burial Traditions
In ancient times, special funerals were held for dead emperors. These included a temporary resting place for the body before permanent burial.
Empress Jitō was the first Japanese imperial person to be cremated in 703. After that, most emperors were cremated until the Edo period. Then, burial in the ground became more common. Until 1912, emperors were usually buried in Kyoto. Since Emperor Taishō, emperors have been buried at the Musashi Imperial Graveyard in Tokyo.
In 2013, the Imperial Household Agency announced that Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko would be cremated after they die.
See also
In Spanish: Emperador de Japón para niños
- Anti-monarchism in Japan
- Chrysanthemum taboo
- Daijō Tennō
- Divine right of kings
- Emperor system
- Empress of Japan
- Family tree of Japanese monarchs
- Imperial House of Japan
- Japanese Air Force One
- Japanese honors system
- Japanese official state car
- List of emperors of Japan
- Reigning Emperor
- Sacred king
- State Shinto
