The first suggestion, which was given by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka, stated that kimi meant the "Emperor as the symbol of Japan", and that the entire lyrics wish for the peace and prosperity of Japan. In 1999, during the deliberations of the Act on National Flag and Anthem, the official definition of Kimi or Kimi-ga-yo was questioned repeatedly. The Ministry also did not formally renounce the pre-war meaning of "Kimigayo". The Ministry of Education did not give any new meanings for "Kimigayo" after the war this allowed the song to mean the Japanese people. With the adoption of the Constitution of Japan in 1947, the Emperor became no longer a sovereign who ruled by divine right, but a human who is a symbol of the state and of the unity of the people as a constitutional monarch. From this time until the Japanese defeat in World War II, "Kimigayo" was understood to mean the long reign of the Emperor. After the Meiji Restoration, samurai from Satsuma-han controlled the Imperial Japanese government, and they adopted "Kimigayo" as the national anthem of Japan. In those contexts, " kimi" never meant the emperor, but only the Tokugawa shōgun, the Shimazu clan as rulers of the Satsuma-han, guests of honor, or all members of a festive drinking party. In the later part of the Edo period, "Kimigayo" was used in the Ōoku (harem of Edo Castle, current Tokyo Imperial Palace) and Satsuma-han (current Kagoshima Prefecture) as a common festive new year song. In the Kamakura period, "Kimigayo" was used as a festive song among samurai, and then became popular among the people in the Edo period. But before the Nara period, the emperor was often called " opokimi" (great lord) so it is controversial whether or not the word " kimi" in " kimigayo" had meant "emperor" originally. For example, the protagonist Hikaru Genji ( 光源氏) of the Tale of Genji is also called "Hikaru no Kimi" or "Hikaru-gimi" ( 光の君 or 光君). " Kimi" has been used to indicate the Emperor of Japan or one's lord (i.e., master) since at least the Heian period. The passage of the Act on National Flag and Anthem in 1999 recognized it as the official national and imperial anthem. military) allowed Hirohito, Emperor Shōwa to retain the throne and "Kimigayo" remained the de facto national anthem for preservation of Japanese monarchy. However, the Allied occupation forces (mainly U.S. This successor state was a parliamentary democracy, constitutional monarchy and the polity therefore changed from a system based on imperial sovereignty to one based on popular sovereignty. When the Empire was dissolved following its surrender at the end of World War II, the State of Japan succeeded it in 1945. įrom 1888 to 1945, "Kimigayo" served as the national anthem of the Empire of Japan. While the title "Kimigayo" is usually translated as "His Imperial Majesty's Reign", no official translation of the title or lyrics has been established in law. The lyrics are from a waka poem written by an unnamed author in the Heian period (794–1185), and the current melody was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular melody composed by John William Fenton eleven years earlier. " Kimigayo" ( 君が代, Japanese pronunciation: " His Imperial Majesty's Reign") is the national anthem of Japan. Considering that words can either unite or divide, great care had to be taken to ensure that the Anthem was an indisputable unifying factor in the life of the nation.Problems playing these files? See media help. It was expected that the lyrics would express the deepest convictions and the highest aspirations of the people as a whole. The tune also had to lend itself to appropriate harmonisation and orchestration for performance by a military band, without impairing the original tonality of the melody. It had to be of such character as to make the writing of suitable words manageable and this was complicated since the Commission set out to provide words in Swahili and English. The tune had to be of the right length and quality, yet possessing the necessary dignity. As such, many tunes from various parts of the country were considered, and it was by no means easy to find those which would fulfil all the demands made in the context of their use as a National Anthem. In presenting the anthem, the commission noted that it had to reflect the idioms of the traditional music of Kenya. It was the first time a group of local musicians were given the task of preparing an anthem for consideration by the Government. This method of preparing a national anthem was completely new in Africa. The National Anthem was prepared by a five-member commission, headed by the then Kenya Music Adviser, Mr. It is a traditional tune sang by mothers to their children. The tune of the Kenyan National Anthem is an African song which is heard in the Pokomo community of Kenya.
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