National Foundation Day (Japan)
National Foundation Day, celebrated on February 11, commemorates the founding of Japan, traditionally believed to have occurred in 660 BCE when Emperor Jimmu, considered a divine figure, ascended to the throne. This holiday is rooted in ancient legends documented in texts such as the *Koji-ki* and *Nihongi*, which narrate the creation of the Japanese islands by deities and the establishment of a ruling lineage that is said to continue unbroken to the present day. While the cultural and historical significance of these legends is acknowledged, the early inhabitants of Japan were likely the Jomon people, followed by the Ainu, before waves of new tribes from Asia settled the islands.
Despite its historical roots, National Foundation Day has seen fluctuating levels of public engagement, particularly in the post-World War II era, when Japan grappled with its national identity. The holiday was suppressed during the American occupation but reinstated in 1966. By the 21st century, the observance of National Foundation Day has diminished, with many Japanese citizens unaware of its significance. The day remains a subject of debate, with some viewing it as a celebration of national heritage while others critique it as a remnant of Japan's imperial past.
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National Foundation Day (Japan)
National Foundation Day (Japan)
In ancient legend, the modern nation of Japan was founded on February 11, 660 BCE, when the first emperor, the divinely descended Jimmu, took the throne. According to two religious texts, the Koji-ki and the Nihongi (or Nihon-shoki), compiled in the early eighth century CE, the gods Izanagi and Izanami created the Japanese islands when they stirred the waters of the earth with a jeweled spear. Their descendants ruled Japan from heaven, but it was only with Jimmu that the ruler became manifest in human form. Jimmu and his army occupied the Yamato plain in southern Japan, where he was crowned. The chronicles also list Jimmu's descendants, who according to Japanese tradition have ruled in an unbroken line for more than 2,600 years, up to the present day. (In fact, there are several gaps in the historical record, occurring mostly during periods of political unrest.)
Setting aside the religious aspects, these mythical accounts of early Japan do appear to have some basis in fact. Scientific and historical data indicate that the first inhabitants of Japan were the Jomon, who arrived circa 10,000 BCE. Their descendants, the Ainu, began to dominate Japan in the second millennium BCE. However, tribes of newcomers from Asia began to settle in Japan in the first millennium BCE, taking the best lands for themselves and forcing the Ainu to retreat to remote corners of the islands. Jimmu, one of the rulers of these new peoples (his tribe had settled in Kyushu), extended his power by force and made his capital at Yamato in central Honshu. Jimmu established the house of Yamato, whose power gradually extended to cover all of Japan. While the traditional legends of the Emperor Jimmu's divine origin are still honored in Japan, in 1945 Emperor Hirohito officially disclaimed any divine status for himself or for future emperors of Japan.
Although National Foundation Day remains an official public holiday in Japan on February 11, by the twenty-first century it had become a relatively little-celebrated event. Indeed, a 2015 survey found that 80 percent of Japanese adults did not know the date of the holiday. In part this is due to the backlash against nationalism in the country that followed World War II. The holiday was suppressed during the American occupation of Japan immediately following the war, and it was not officially reinstated until 1966. National Foundation Day continues to be somewhat controversial, with some groups hailing it as important aspect of Japanese heritage and others criticizing it as a relic of the imperial era, and so has tended to have minimal government promotion.
Bibliography
Dayman, Lucy. "How to Celebrate National Foundation Day in Japan." Culture Trip, 10 Feb. 2018,theculturetrip.com/asia/japan/articles/celebrate-national-foundation-day-japan/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2020.
Jacobsen, Natalie. "The Story Behind National Foundation Day." Tokyo Weekender, 10 Feb. 2016, www.tokyoweekender.com/2016/02/the-story-behind-national-foundation-day/. Accessed 29 Apr. 2020.
Ryan, Stephen M. "Japan's National Foundation Day." National Days/National Ways: Historical, Political and Religious Celebrations Around the World, edited by Linda K. Fuller, Greenwood, 2004.
Takiguchi, Takahiro. "Japanese Holiday on Feb. 11 Marks National Controversy." Stripes Okinawa, 5 Feb. 2020, okinawa.stripes.com/community-news/japanese-holiday-feb-11-marks-national-controversy. Accessed 29 Apr. 2020.
"8 Out of Ten Japanese Didn't Know Feb. 11 Was National Foundation Day." JapanToday, 13 Feb. 2015, japantoday.com/category/features/kuchikomi/8-out-of-10-japanese-didnt-know-feb-11-was-national-foundation-day. Accessed 29 Apr. 2020.