is an annual

Public holiday in Japan were established by the of 1948 (as amended). A provision of the law establishes that when a national holiday falls on a Sunday, the next working day shall become a public holiday, known as . Additionally, any day that falls between two other na ...

celebrating the birthday of the reigning

Emperor An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother ( ...

, which is currently 23 February as

Emperor Naruhito is the current Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession. ...

was born on that day in 1960. It is enforced by a specific law, "The Law for Special Exception of the Imperial House Law concerning Abdication, etc. of Emperor" ( 天皇の退位等に関する皇室典範特例法) of 2017.

History

Ancient – medieval

The name of Tenchosetsu (天長節) is ancient, and derived from the birthday of

Emperor Xuanzong of Tang Emperor Xuanzong of Tang (; 8 September 685 – 3 May 762), personal name Li Longji, was the seventh emperor of the Tang dynasty in China, reigning from 712 to 756 CE. His reign of 44 years was the longest during the Tang dynasty. In the early ...

. It was changed to "Chiaki-bushi (千秋節)" in 729 in the first year of

Tenpyō was a after '' Jinki'' and before '' Tenpyō-kanpō.'' This period spanned the years from August 729 through April 749. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 729 : The new era name was created to mark an event or series of events. The ...

, but it was renamed to "Tencho-setsu" (天長節) in the 7th year of Tenpyo (748 in the first year of Katsuho) 19 years later. "Tencho" (天長) is taken from

Laozi Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...

's "Tencho Chikyu" (天長地久). In Japan,

Emperor Kōnin was the 49th emperor of Japan, Emperor Kōnin, Tahara no Higashi Imperial Mausoleum, Imperial Household Agency according to the traditional order of succession. Kōnin's reign lasted from 770 to 781. Traditional narrative The personal name ...

's Hōki 6th year (775) 13 October (10 November, Gregorian calendar), the Emperor's Birthday ceremony was held. His vassals presented the emperor's favorite

sake Sake, also spelled saké ( ; also referred to as Japanese rice wine), is an alcoholic beverage of Japanese origin made by fermenting rice that has been polished to remove the bran. Despite the name ''Japanese rice wine'', sake, and in ...

and gave him a feast.

Omi Tencho Daisui Group Omi Dedication Good Sake Food Feast (是日天長大酺群臣献翫好酒食宴畢賜禄有差)

(Previously, on 11 September (10 October, Gregorian calendar)

October 13th, every day of birth, every year, the priests of the temples, the priests of the temples The Emperor's Birthday (十月十三日是朕生日毎至此辰威慶兼集宜令諸寺僧尼毎年是日転経行道海内諸国竝宜断屠内外百官賜酺宴一日仍名此日為天長節庶使廻斯功徳虔奉先慈以此慶情普被天下)

The Emperor's birthday was already celebrated during the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japan ...

. This is recorded in the record of Hōki 10 (779). There is also a description in the "Oyudono Diary" (お湯殿の上の日記) as a record of the

Muromachi period The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate (''Muromachi bakufu'' or ''Ashikaga bakufu''), which was officially established in 1338 by ...

Modern – contemporary

Flag-for-the-Emperor-Birthday-Japan-Tenchosetsu-Toyohara-Kunichika

On 26 August 1868 (11 October 1868), a decree by the Daijo-kan said, "22 September, the Emperor's Birthday is equivalent to the Emperor's Birthday. On 22 September (6 November 1868), the Emperor's Birthday was celebrated as a national holiday. In the 2nd year of the Meiji era (1869), the ministers of each country were invited to the Enryokan to receive a drink, and in the 3rd year of the Meiji era (1870), various officials, non-employees, Kazoku, etc. worshiped. The ministers and below received a feast at each ministry, and royal gun salute was shot on various warships. The ritual of the Emperor's Festival was completed in 1872, in the same year of the Emperor's Birthday. Until 1948, it was called , "Tenchō Festival". ''Tenchōsetsu'' paralleled , "Chikyū Festival", which referred to the Empress consort's birthday. The two names originate from the

idiom An idiom is a phrase or expression that typically presents a figurative, non-literal meaning attached to the phrase; but some phrases become figurative idioms while retaining the literal meaning of the phrase. Categorized as formulaic language ...

in , borrowed from

Lao Tzu Laozi (), also known by numerous other names, was a semilegendary ancient Chinese Taoist philosopher. Laozi ( zh, ) is a Chinese honorific, generally translated as "the Old Master". Traditional accounts say he was born as in the state ...

's ''

Tao Te Ching The ''Tao Te Ching'' (, ; ) is a Chinese classic text written around 400 BC and traditionally credited to the sage Laozi, though the text's authorship, date of composition and date of compilation are debated. The oldest excavated portion ...

'' during the reign of

(708–782 CE), meaning "The sky and the earth, the universe is eternal," and expressed a hope for the eternal longevity of the reigning Emperor. After

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

in 1948, the

government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government i ...

renamed it to ''Tennō tanjōbi'' (天皇誕生日). ''Tennō tanjōbi'' is less formal language with a more literal meaning. Under the law, the

National Diet The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (, '' Sangiin''). Both houses are directly elected under a paral ...

must convene and change the holiday date before the reigning Emperor's birthday becomes a public holiday. Thus, there exists a small chance that the former Emperor's birthday may come before the change can be made. During the reign of Emperor

Hirohito Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...

(the

Shōwa period Shōwa may refer to: * Hirohito (1901–1989), the 124th Emperor of Japan, known posthumously as Emperor Shōwa * Showa Corporation, a Japanese suspension and shock manufacturer, affiliated with the Honda keiretsu Japanese eras * Jōwa (Heian ...

, 1926–1989), the Emperor's birthday was observed on 29 April. That date remained a public holiday, posthumously renamed

Greenery Day The present observation of as a public holiday in Japan stems from the celebration of the birthday of the Emperor Shōwa ( Hirohito, who lived from 1901 to 1989) on April 29 every year during the Shōwa era (1926 - 1989). In 1989, following t ...

in 1989 and

Shōwa Day is a public holiday in Japan held on April 29. It honors the birthday of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito), the reigning emperor from 1926 to 1989. Shō (昭) means “shining” or “bright”, and wa (和) means “peace”, signifying the "enlight ...

in 2007. On 30 April 2019, the 125th Emperor Akihito abdicated as per the

Constitution of Japan The Constitution of Japan (Shinjitai: , Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization, Hepburn: ) is the constitution of Japan and the supreme law in the state. Written primarily by American civilian officials working under the Allied occupation of Japa ...

and in accordance with the Imperial Code Special Law Concerning the Retirement of the Emperor. Thus 2019 was the first time since the introduction of the Holidays Act in 1948 that there were no Emperor's Birthday celebrations. On 23 February 2020 (

Reiwa is the current Japanese era name, era of Japan's official calendar. It began on 1 May 2019, the day on which Emperor Akihito's elder son, Naruhito, Enthronement of the Japanese emperor, ascended the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan. The ...

2), the general public visit of the Imperial Palace on Emperor

Naruhito is the current Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession ...

's birthday after the coronation was canceled due to the spread of the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identi ...

. The general public's visit was also cancelled for the same reason the following year in 2021 (Reiwa 3).

Observance

On the Emperor's Birthday, a public ceremony takes place at the

Tokyo Imperial Palace The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...

, where the gates are opened (the palace is usually off-limits to the public). Usually only the surrounding park can be visited. The emperor, accompanied by the

empress An emperor (from la, imperator, via fro, empereor) is a monarch, and usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife ( empress consort), mother (empr ...

, and several other members of the imperial family appear on a palace balcony to acknowledge the birthday greetings of well-wishers waving Japanese flags. This event is called ''Ippan-sanga'' ( 一般参賀). Only on this occasion, and during New Year's celebrations on 2 January, are members of the public permitted to enter the inner grounds of the palace. The crowd must wait in an orderly manner in a pre-established area between the main road and the building: at a later time the police accompany visitors, guiding them from the square in front of them to the inside of the building. Admission is free and those who wish are given a small

Japanese flag The national flag of Japan is a rectangular white banner bearing a crimson-red circle at its center. This flag is officially called the , but is more commonly known in Japan as the . It embodies the country's sobriquet: the Land of the Rising S ...

. The area in front of the reception pavilion is called Chōwaden. Visitors wait in line next to the Nijubashi bridge, at around 9:30 in the morning the police make a first group of people cross the bridge and manage the entrance to the square below the balcony. At around 10:20 am, the emperor, accompanied by the empress, the heirs to the throne and their respective spouses, looks out on the balcony and the crowd below wishes the emperor long life by repeating the word " banzai" in chorus which means "ten thousand years" (for the Emperor). On the day of the holiday, the Imperial Palace complex and the surrounding streets are guarded by police, which, according to tradition, hand out small flags of Japan at the gate for free. Once his thanks and public greetings are concluded, the crowd begins to wave flags and the Imperial Family retreats inside the palace. The ceremony lasts three minutes in all, after which the group of subjects is guided outside, and a second group is allowed to enter. This operation is repeated several times, so that as many citizens as possible can pay homage to the emperor. The same evening, national television broadcasts a special during which the emperor addresses a few words of thanks to the country. The crowd that attends the ceremony usually consists of adults and elderly people. Among the crowd, there may also be groups of foreign tourists who organize palace visits and enjoy the event. In 2021, the visit of the general public to the Imperial Palace grounds on the day to celebrate His Majesty the Emperor's Birthday was canceled due to the

. Both the ''Ippan-sanga'' in the morning and the signing of the visitors' book () in the afternoon were canceled. Ahead of his birthday, however, in a video message recorded on 19 February,

spoke of his desire to reach out to a wide spectrum of people.

Song

* "The Emperor's Birthday (Tenchōsetsu)" (天長節) (lyrics Mayori Kurokawa, composer Yoshisa Oku): Meiji 26 years (1893 was enacted) as "a holiday festival date song".

Lyrics

These are the lyrics of the song. 天長節 (Tenchōsetsu), The Emperor's Birthday, 1893

List of emperors' birthdays

References

External links

The Imperial Household Agency
*

*

{{DEFAULTSORT:Emperor's Birthday, The Public holidays in Japan February observances Birthdays of heads of state Annual events in Japan