Kimigayo
Kimi ga yo (君が代, '&# 39;Kimi ga yo''? ) (Japanese: "The Reign of His Imperial Majesty"), is the National Anthem of Japan and one of the shortest running national anthems in the world. Lyrics are based on a waka poem written in the Heian period, sung with a song written in the late Meiji era of the Japanese Empire. The current song was chosen in 1880, replacing an unpopular song composed eleven years earlier (by John William Fenton). Although the Kimi ga yo was the de facto national anthem for a long time, it was legally recognized in 1999, with the promulgation of the Law Concerning the National Flag and to the Anthem (国旗及び国歌に関する法律, Kokki oyobi kokka ni kansuru hōritsu?). Following its adoption, controversy arose over the hymn's performance at public school ceremonies. Along with the national flag, the Kimi ga yo was regarded as a symbol of Japanese imperialism and Japanese wartime militarism.
Letter
In modern Japanese, kimi (君, 'kimi'?) means “you”. However, from the Heian era (when the poem was written) to the early 20th century, it meant "Lord" or " Lady". For example, Prince Genji, protagonist of the Genji Monogatari, was called Hikaru no Kimi (光の君, 'Hikaru no Kimi'?) : The Shining Prince.
Official definition
On June 29, 1999, the Prime Minister of Japan, Keizō Obuchi, introduced the official definition of Kimi and Kimi ga yo through the Law Concerning the National Flag and the Anthem:
Kimi He refers to the Emperor, who is the symbol of the State and unity of the people, and whose position is derived from the will based on the consensus of the Japanese citizens, in which his sovereign power resides. And Kimi ga me refers to our State, Japan, of which the Emperor has become a symbol of the State and unity of the people with the will based on the consensus of the Japanese citizens. And that is why it is reasonable to use the letter Kimi ga me to mean the desire for lasting prosperity and peace in our country.
Origin
The lyrics first appeared in a poetry anthology, Kokin Wakashū, as an anonymous poem and had no connection to the emperor; it was only praise for long life. Since anonymous poems were not rare at the time, the poem's author may have been because he belonged to a lower class. The poem was also included in multiple anthologies, and at a later time was used as a popular celebration song. Unlike the current hymn, the poem began with “waga kimi wa” (“[May] you, my lord”). The change in lyrics occurred during the Kamakura era. In 1869, at the beginning of the Meiji era, John William Fenton, the director of an Irish military band visiting Japan, observed that the country did not have a national anthem and recommended that Iwao Oyama, an officer of the Satsuma clan, perform a national anthem. national anthem for Japan. Iwao agreed and chose the lyrics. It is said that the lyrics were chosen for their similarity to the British national anthem due to the fact that Fenton would be in charge of the music and also because of the importance of having a national anthem. Iwao then asked Fenton to composed the melody. It was composed and performed before the Emperor in 1870. After pressure from the Japanese, Fenton had only three weeks to compose the music and a few days to rehearse before the hymn was performed before the Emperor. It was the first version of the Kimi ga yo, but it was discarded because the melody lacked solemnity. However, this version is performed annually at Myōkoji Shrine in Yokohama, where Fenton worked as head of the military band. The sanctuary serves as a memorial to the person of him.
The Imperial Family Agency adopted a new song composed by Yoshiisa Oku and Akimori Hayashi. He also occasionally appears as composer Hiromori Hayashi, who was the supervisor of the first two and Akimori's father; Akimori was also one of Fenton's pupils. German musician Franz Eckert applied the song with Western-style harmony. This is the second and current version of the Kimigayo. In 1893, the Kimigayo was included in public school ceremonies with the support of the Ministry of Education. According to the Japan Times, the Kimigayo is played in C major.
Protocol
In the Law concerning the National Flag and Anthem, there is no detailed protocol on how to show respect to the Kimi ga yo when it is executed. However, local governments and private organizations can develop suggestions or demands to follow a protocol to be carried out. For example, in October 2003, a Tokyo Metropolitan Government directive required all teachers to stand during the playing of the national anthem at all graduation ceremonies. While standing, teachers were required to sing the Kimi ga yo while observing the Hinomaru. U.S. military personnel in Japan are required to place their right hand over their heart when performing the Kimi ga yo. The Law Concerning the National Flag and Anthem also does not state when and where the Kimi ga yo should be performed. However, Kimi ga yo is usually performed at sporting events within Japan, or during international sporting events where Japan has a team competing. In sumo tournaments, the Kimigayo is performed before award ceremonies.
Controversy
Since the end of World War II, there has been criticism of the anthem for its association with militarism and virtual worship of the emperor as a deity, elements that some consider incompatible with a democratic society. Similar objections have been raised with the current flag of Japan, and there have been demonstrations against both symbols. In 1999, the Japanese government passed the Law Concerning the National Flag and Anthem, which designated Kimi ga yo as the official anthem of Japan and Hinomaru as the official flag..
Schools have had conflicts over the anthem and the flag. For example, the Tokyo Board of Education requires that the anthem must be sung and the flag must be flown at events in the Japanese capital's metropolitan government schools, and that school teachers must respect both symbols (i.e., stand up to sing the anthem) or face losing their jobs. Some protested that such rules violated Japan's Constitution, while the Council, for its part, countered that such schools were government agencies, and that its employees have an obligation to teach their students to be "good Japanese citizens".
Opponents responded that it was inappropriate for Japan, as a democratic country, to have a national anthem praising a monarch and that forcing participation in a ceremony involving singing a hymn was against the article concerning freedom of thought in the Japanese Constitution (Article 19). The government stated that with the 1999 law it explained that the letter symbolized Japan's desire to be at peace with the figure of the emperor as a symbol of unity.
In 2006, Katsuhisa Fujita, a retired teacher from Tokyo, was sentenced to prison and forced to pay 200,000 yen (about $2,000) after being accused of disrupting a graduation ceremony at Itabashi High School by exhorting attendees to remain seated during the performance of the anthem. At the time of Fujita's sentencing, 345 teachers had been disciplined for refusing to participate in anthem-related events, although Fujita has been the only person imprisoned for said crime.
As a way to avoid harsh penalties, teachers opposed to the compulsory singing of the anthem have attempted to create English-language parodic lyrics throughout Japan and on the Internet. The parodies take the Japanese syllables and replace them with the phonetic equivalents in English (for example, one of the most popular versions, Kimigayo wa becomes Kiss me girl, your old one), allowing these people to sing it without being able to be identified in a crowd. Japanese conservatives ridicule the parody of the hymn as "sabotage". There is also political significance to this alternate English letter, which may allude to so-called "comfort girls", women prostituted during World War II by the Imperial Japanese Army.
On September 21, 2006, the Tokyo District Court ordered the Tokyo Metropolitan Government to pay compensation to all teachers who had received fines and/or penalties under the direction of the Tokyo Education Committee. Then-Prime Minister Jun'ichirō Koizumi commented, "It's a natural idea to treat the national anthem importantly." This was seen as a milestone within the Fundamental Law of Education in Japan. The ruling was appealed by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.
Contenido relacionado
Bolivar (Colombia)
Tetris
J.R.R. Tolkien