Dr.

Watt

Japanese 320

8 April 2016

Japanese National Identity in the 1940s

As stated by Guibernau, ‘natonal identity’ is formed from “the sentiment of belonging to

a specific nation, endowed with its own symbols, traditions, sacred places, ceremonies, heroes,

history, culture, and territory” (Guibernaut 243). In Ken Ruoff’s Imperial Japan at its Zenith, we

see instances of nearly all of these list items in the constructing national identity in Japan;

particularly, this paper will focus on the role of history, sacred places, ceremonies, heroes, and

culture. Though I mention these items as separate, writing about them separately is a difficult

task, as several of these items are closely related by the event known as the 2600th anniversary of

the imperial dynasty, an event celebrating the long history of Japan by remembering its

mythological founder (and hero) Emperor Jimmu. During this time, a marked increase in interest

in Japanese history was seen both in various medium such as books and movies that became

popular (subject matter dealing with Japan’s origins and older literature) as well as increased

interest in “cultural heritage sites” resulting in what Ruoff refers to as “the national history

boom” (Ruoff 28).

As a sort of catalyst for the national history boom, the entity known as Emperor Jimmu is

first on the agenda. Despite being mythological, according to Ruoff, “no aspect of imperial

history was more competed over, investigated, commemorated, exhibited, and chronicled that the

exploits of Emperor Jimmu” (Ruoff 28). One could argue that his popularity increased because

he was mythological. As a sort of national hero, rather than embellishing actual exploits or

having a hero well defined by reality, the mythological Jimmu was capable of nearly anything in
the distant 2600 year past, and the people constructed their own image of Jimmu as the

charismatic, legendary leader of Yamato. Ruoff also argues that Jimmu served the role of

charismatic leader that Hitler filled in Germany and Mussolini filled in Italy, to justify the

militaristic expansionism of Japan (Ruoff 29). Thus, Jimmu became more than just a hero of old,

but the symbol of Japan’s long history and divine right to rule: a fundamental part of their

national identity as it relates to the expansion of their empire.

Along with increased interest in Jimmu came an increased interest in sacred sites related

to him and to Japan’s founding. Leading up to the 1940 celebration, six sites designated were

designated as sacred and scheduled for various improvements as “cultural heritage sites” (Ruoff

37). The government’s increased emphasis on these sacred sites sparked competition between

prefectures, as each tried to find cultural sites within their borders related to Emperor Jimmu.

Competition was fierce, not only because the official recognition of the Ministry of Education of

as one of only twenty-one cultural heritage site would bring prestige, but also because of the

economic benefit of the being on the national heritage tourism circuit (Ruoff 37). Essentially, the

frenzied search for heritage sites was a government sponsored exercise in who could prove they

had the biggest connection to the fictitious emperor. Even though there were officially only

twenty one winners, unofficial sites were erected as well (particularly in Miyazaki prefecture)

which also became quite popular on the tourism circuit (Ruoff 41). But more so than tourism, the

existence and effort that went into proving the existence into these cultural heritage sites only

strengthened the mythos of Emperor Jimmu, as many Japanese historians of the time touted

Jimmu’s existence as absolute fact. Thus, did the movement for all that Jimmu represented: as

stated above, the divine origin of Japan and its imperial line, as well as its right to expand its

rule: become all the more stronger.

 Though history and cultural heritage sites played an important role in creating national

identity, the 2600th anniversary had participatory elements (mandatory, in many cases) for

citizens as well. Throughout the anniversary year, citizens were encouraged or forced to pray

daily at shrines for long life of the emperor and engage in various activities, such as contests,

songs, athletic events and more which were deemed to have patriotic value (Ruoff 56). Mass

rituals also were important in creating a national identity, as at these points in time, everyone in

the nation at the same point in time was performing the same action. For example, on New

Year’s Day, all citizens were to bow in the direction of the imperial place and shout “Long Live

His Majesty the Emperor” at precisely 9:00 a.m. (Ruoff 57). Even Japanese citizens living

abroad, such as in the Americans or in Manchukuo, were encouraged to participate. All of these

events fostered a sense of unity of the Japanese community, in addition to cultivating a strong

sense of patriotism.

In addition, from the government standpoint, forced participation in these rituals also

reinforced the power of the imperial throne and the loyalty of Japanese citizens. Ruoff references

another historian Hara Takeshi in the concept of “rule by time”, a concept that existed before the

anniversary year but was heavily emphasized throughout the event (Ruoff 57). According to

Hara, mass rituals fell into three categories: firstly, bowing to the imperial palace on particular

days, such as the New Year’s Day example mentioned above. Secondly, moments of silence

were observed on days commemorating various wars. Thirdly moments of silence were also

observed when the emperor was observing special rituals at the Yasukuni Shrine (Ruoff 58).

This final category, forming the bridge between Imperial fealty and religion, also contributed to

national identity, in that the emperor would perform religious ceremonies and rituals on behalf of

the entire nation (Ruoff 58)

 In summation, the 2600th anniversary celebration brought with it a renewed interest in

national history, both factual and fabricated. This interest was spearheaded by fascination with

the legendary emperor Jimmu, charismatic hero of Japan’s storied past. With the advent of

interest in Jimmu came interest in cultural heritage sites dedicated to him and important sites in

Japanese history and culture. Moreover, government encouraged and mandated ceremonies and

rituals combined to create a sense of patriotism and reinforce the authority of the imperial throne.

And thus, through this combination of history, culture, ceremonies, heroes, and sacred places, we

arrive once more Guibernau’s definition of national identity, as displayed in Japan in 1940.

1001 words
 Works Cited

Montserrat, Guibernau. Understanding Nationalism. Ed. John Hutchinson. Cambridge: Polity,

2001. Print.

Ruoff, Kenneth J. Imperial Japan at Its Zenith: The Wartime Celebration of the Empire's 2,600th

Anniversary. Ithaca: Cornell UP, 2010. Web.