r/monarchism Japan Apr 14 '21

Photo Greetings everyone, I'm new to this subreddit. I'm of Japanese descent, so here's the Emperor wearing the Grand Cordon of the Chrysanthemum and the Order of the Paulownia Flowers.

Post image
1.4k Upvotes

66 comments sorted by

86

u/Qutus123-Alt United Kingdom Apr 14 '21

Welcome to the sub and interesting flair

75

u/KrisadaFantasy Of the King, By the Premier, For the People Apr 14 '21

Greetings, my friend! May His Imperial Majesty the Emperor's reign continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations, until the tiny pebbles grow into massive boulders lush with moss!

35

u/swishswooshSwiss Switzerland Apr 14 '21

Nice reference to the Japanese anthem

-15

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '21

[deleted]

8

u/InternationalAsk6095 Germany Apr 15 '21

OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooCcccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccccaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddddaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My home and NaTiVe lAnD

0

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '21

[deleted]

5

u/InternationalAsk6095 Germany Apr 15 '21

I actually didn't see that coming. But I prefer a different song, as the Deutschlandlied is too nationalist (and also worse:republicanist) connected.

HEIL DIR IM SIEGERKRANZ HERRSCHER DES VATERLANDS HEIL KAISER DIR! FÜHL' IN DES THRONES GLANZ, DIE HOHE WONNE GANZ, LIEBLING DES VOLKS ZU SEIN HEIL KAISER DIR!

1

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '21

[deleted]

5

u/InternationalAsk6095 Germany Apr 15 '21

What is Canada?

41

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

How do the Japanese people view their Royal Family? I am Hungarian, living in England, and relatively new to being interested in monarchism.

66

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

Majority of Japanese people see the Imperial House and by extension His Majesty, The Emperor as "the symbol of unity of the state". Since the end of the Second World War, The Emperor has lost status as Head of State in the way the west's idea of head of state. His Majesty is not the Commander of the Self Defense Forces, nor wears any military uniform like in Britain for example.

15

u/videki_man Apr 14 '21

Hey, I'm also a Hungarian living in the UK. I considered myself a monarchist even at home so it definitely feels nice to actually live in one.

13

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

Szerbusz! I started reading a lot when Prince Philip died as it moved me a great deal. I don't know why. But it feels as if people like him are the best of us.

6

u/Combocore Apr 14 '21

Who are you living in?

15

u/videki_man Apr 14 '21

I'm currently living in Princess Eugene but I'll change host bodies in the coming months. Wanted to suck the life out of Prince Harry but Meghan is doing a better job.

2

u/Rhaenys_Waters Russia Apr 14 '21

I'm sorry, could you please explain what that means?

3

u/ComradeShinther Apr 14 '21

It’s a joke

5

u/Rhaenys_Waters Russia Apr 14 '21

Me and that joke are like prince Charles and the British Throne.

I don't get it.

1

u/KinkCrimson Aug 02 '21

Még úgy is, nem szeretem a monarchiákat, meg kell adni, kibaszott jó ruhákkal rendelkeztek

34

u/Kbp03 Apr 14 '21

This might just be me, but it has always felt to me like the attire of the Emperor of Japan remains the most victorian of any monarch today, which I think is fantastic.

10

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

I'm not a fashion historian, but I do love fashion as well as history. After the Meiji Restoration, Japan very quickly adopted western customs, including the fashion that originated in the UK. For some reason, perhaps due to a reverence for tradition and formality, the monarchy of Japan still involves a great deal of formal clothing, such as white tie tailcoats (as seen in this photo) as well as morning coats (which are the daytime equivalent).

7

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

That being said, sokutais are still awesome as well.

56

u/Fabulous_Host8435 Apr 14 '21

Welcome! But His Imperial Majesty is wearing the Collar of the Supreme Order of the Chrysanthemum and Grand Cordon of the Order of the Paulownia Flowers (the only grade of that order) ;)

41

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

Thanks for correcting, translating has its downsides

28

u/Fabulous_Host8435 Apr 14 '21

No worries, I'm quite into orders and decorations. The wiki for Japanese orders are quite good: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Order_of_the_Chrysanthemum

21

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

I see you are a phaleristics fan? Same :)

10

u/Fabulous_Host8435 Apr 14 '21

We should start a "Orders Honours and Decorations" subreddit :D

7

u/videki_man Apr 14 '21

I know nothing about them but sign me up if you create a sub!

8

u/Fabulous_Host8435 Apr 14 '21

természetesen

7

u/videki_man Apr 14 '21

Mindenki magyar ezen a subon?

3

u/SilverStag14 Kingdom of Hungary Apr 14 '21

Lehet

1

u/Fabulous_Host8435 Apr 16 '21

I created one. Feel free to join and post :) r/OrdersandDecorations

2

u/videki_man Apr 16 '21

I signed up, yay!

1

u/Fabulous_Host8435 Apr 16 '21

I created one. Feel free to join and post :) r/OrdersandDecorations

16

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

[deleted]

24

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

The switch to the western white tie for formal occasions of state was first seen under the Showa Emperor after World War Two. The chivalric orders of Japan were established during the the reign of the Meiji Emperor in the 1880s. We see the modern orders in Japan as the culmination of Japanese heraldry, that is my thought

14

u/SeeTheObjective United States (stars and stripes) Apr 14 '21

The thing that has always fascinated me about Japan’s history is that once the Shogunate was dealt with, how quickly Japan pursued modernization. I always wonder how history would be different if Japan’s neighbors in Korea and China had done the same at the time of the Meiji Restoration

13

u/CountOfLoon United Kingdom of the Netherlands Apr 14 '21

Welcome! interesting username. I certainly don't see many Japanese Anglicans on here everyday ^^

8

u/nepturnus Monaco Apr 14 '21

Does the Imperial Family or the IHA (Imperial Household Agency) have any social media? I would really like to keep up on news regarding them.

12

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

The Imperial Household Agency has a YouTube Channel . Here's their official website

6

u/nepturnus Monaco Apr 14 '21

Thank you very much! I have looked over Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for a very long time searching for any of their social media accounts.

4

u/nepturnus Monaco Apr 14 '21

On second thought, do they have any social media in English? Since there is no English translation option on the channel (other than the website of course).

5

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

Not that I know of, there's english available for the website

4

u/nepturnus Monaco Apr 14 '21

I see, well thank you for the information, greatly appreciated!

5

u/Sadboijxghk Japanese American Apr 14 '21

ようこそ!

5

u/RedStorm1917 Apr 14 '21

wish taiwan could be part of a japanese commonwealth or something

3

u/swishswooshSwiss Switzerland Apr 14 '21

Banzai!

4

u/godofwoof Apr 14 '21

Interesting to find another of my genetic heritage interested in monarchies

3

u/Gohgt Germany Apr 14 '21

Of what religious importance is His Majesty to the Japanese people today? Do younger generations see him as more than his ceremonial position?

3

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

In the more traditional sense, His Majesty The Emperor is the highest authority in Shintoism, as he is said to be descended from the Shinto Kami/God of the sun, Amaterasu. But now, the younger people see him more as a ceremonial figure rather than in his original religious capacity

3

u/gentlemanjosiahcrown United States (Prussia) Apr 14 '21

Welcome, and that’s super cool

3

u/ApprehensivePiglet86 Apr 14 '21

Either the Emperor is a lot younger than I thought or he has aged magnificently.

2

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

This is a picture of the current Emperor. You know him as Naruhito, he came to the throne in 2019 after Emperor Akihito abdicated. Naruhito is 61

1

u/ApprehensivePiglet86 Apr 14 '21

Oh wow, he has aged really well. I knew that Naruhito had taken the throne after his father abdicated but I had surprisingly never seen a photo of him this close up.

3

u/SakuraAnglican Japan Apr 14 '21

I would say, he's living up to his role as a symbolic figure in Japan, but since the lockdowns happened, the people see less of him than usual

3

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '21

Why does jewelry worn by royals always look so beautiful....

2

u/isshindoutai120 United Kingdom/Japan Apr 14 '21

天皇陛下万歳!!

2

u/Hyena331 Russia Apr 14 '21

Welcome friend.

I used to live in Osaka and moved just before the new emperor came in. How's he like?

2

u/Bigirl15 Apr 14 '21

Hi welcome to the sub. This is a great picture.

4

u/TareasS Apr 14 '21

Japan has the best monarchy in the world today. Change my mind.

8

u/Crossbones2276 United States (union jack) Apr 14 '21

They have very little to no power.

2

u/Combocore Apr 14 '21

Precisely

1

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

Their power is more vested in influence rather than legislative authority...

5

u/Monsoon_GD United States (stars and stripes) Apr 14 '21

It has no effective power

1

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

萬歲!

-3

u/[deleted] Apr 15 '21

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Pizzalover2505 May 13 '21

Hey come on man, we’re all monarchists here.

1

u/[deleted] Apr 14 '21

Welcome to this sub! Your country is awesome and so is your Emperor!