National Foundation Day (建国記念日, kenkoku kinen-bi; also 建国記念の日, kenkoku kinen-no-hi) is a national holiday in Japan celebrated annually on February 11. On this day, Japanese celebrate the founding of the nation and the imperial line by its mythical first emperor, Jimmu. February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Meiji era print of Emperor Jimmu Emperor Jimmu, also spelled Jinmu (神武天皇 Jinmu Tennō; given name: Kamuyamato Iwarebiko, January 1, 711 BC–March 11, 585 BC)[1] was the mythical founder of Japan and its first emperor. ...

History

Though celebration of the story of the foundation of Japan by Emperor Jimmu stretches back into Japanese history, National Foundation Day did not become an official holiday until January 1873, when Japan switched from its lunisolar calendar to the Gregorian calendar. Japanese scholars used the Nihonshoki (日本書紀), to derive the exact date, February 11, 660 BCE. However, it should be noted that historians have yet to find evidence of either the significance of this date or even the existence of Emperor Jimmu outside of the Nihonshoki.^[1] Meiji era print of Emperor Jimmu Emperor Jimmu, also spelled Jinmu (神武天皇 Jinmu Tennō; given name: Kamuyamato Iwarebiko, January 1, 711 BC–March 11, 585 BC)[1] was the mythical founder of Japan and its first emperor. ... 1873 was a common year starting on Wednesday (see link for calaber). ... A lunisolar calendar is a calendar whose date indicates both the moon phase and the time of the solar year. ... The Gregorian calendar is the calendar that is used nearly everywhere in the world. ... Nihonshoki (日本書紀) is the second oldest history book about the ancient history of Japan. ... February 11 is the 42nd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... Centuries: 8th century BC - 7th century BC - 6th century BC Decades: 710s BC 700s BC 690s BC 680s BC 670s BC - 660s BC - 650s BC 640s BC 630s BC 620s BC 610s BC Events and trends 669 BC - Assurbanipal succeeds his father Esarhaddon as king of Assyria 668 BC - Shamash...

In its original incarnation, the holiday was named Kigensetsu (紀元節, trans: Empire Day).^[2] It is thought that the Meiji Emperor may have established this holiday to bolster the legitimacy of the imperial family following the abolition of the Tokugawa Shogunate. Publicly linking his rule with the mythical first emperor, Jimmu, and thus Amaterasu, the Meiji Emperor declared himself the one, true ruler of Japan.^[3] Emperor Mutsuhito Mutsuhito or Mitsuhito (睦仁), the Meiji Emperor (明治天皇, literally wise ruling heaven emperor) (3 November 1852–30 July 1912) was the 122nd Emperor of Japan. ... The Tokugawa shogunate or Tokugawa bakufu (徳川幕府) (also known as the Edo bakufu) was a feudal military dictatorship of Japan established in 1603 by Tokugawa Ieyasu and ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family until 1868. ... Torii at the Ama-no-Iwato Shrine in Takachiho, Miyazaki Prefecture Amaterasu is a Shinto Sun goddess; she is the mythical ancestress of the royal family of Japan. ...

With large parades and festivals, in its time, Kigensetsu was considered one of the four major holidays of Japan.

Given its reliance on Shinto mythology and its reinforcement of the Japanese nobility, Kigensetsu was abolished following World War II. It was re-established as National Foundation Day in 1966. Though stripped of most of its overt references to the Emperor, National Foundation Day is still a day for expressing patriotism and love of the nation.^[4] A torii at Itsukushima Shrine Shinto (神道 Shintō) (sometimes called Shintoism) is a native religion of Japan and was once its state religion. ... World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrinations, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atom bomb. ... 1966 was a common year starting on Saturday (link goes to calendar) // Events January January 1 - In a coup, Colonel Jean-Bédel Bokassa ousts president David Dacko and takes over the Central African Republic. ...

Current practice

Contrary to the importance of Kigensetsu, celebrations for National Foundation Day are relatively muted. Customs include raising of Japanese flags and reflection on the meaning of Japanese citizenship. The holiday is still relatively contraversial however, and so very overt expressions of nationalism are rare.

Sources

1. ^  Kid's Web Japan: National Foundation Day, retrieved November 21, 2005
2. ^  American School in Japan: Japanese Holiday Traditions. retrieved November 21, 2005
3. ^  Hiragana Times: Emperor JINMU, retrieved November 21, 2005