Kimigayo – The short Japanese National Anthem

Kimigayo [君が代] is the Japanese national anthem, or the anthem of Japan; it is also the anthem with the oldest lyrics in the world and one of the shortest anthems in the world. It has only 5 lines and 32 syllables, and it was originally a poem.

For a long time, Kimigayo was known as the Anthem of Japan, but it became the official anthem only in 1999. In this article, we will examine a bit of the history of this anthem and some curiosities.

Nihon no Kokka e Kokuminka – National Songs

The National Anthem in Japanese is Nihon no kokka [日本の国歌], something like the song of the country or music of the country, Japan. It can be a song or instrumental music that symbolizes the nation. Before we talk about the Japanese Anthem, let’s understand a bit about the word kokka [国歌].

The kokka are regulated by the laws of each country; some are recognized by the common sense of the people, while others are historically treated as national anthems. National anthems are not immutable but can be revised and changed.

The other word we will see in this article is Kokuminka [国民歌], which refers to other national songs that are used to represent the nation. They are created for a specific public purpose, which is different from the national anthem but intended to be sung by the people.

The production can be done not only by “governments” but also by “people,” such as news companies and private enterprises. In a broad sense, the theme music of a national event or defined as national because it is known by the people.

History of Kimigayo

The Japanese national anthem first appeared as an anonymous poem in the Kokin Wakashū (collection of poems) written around (794-1185). The poem was included in many anthologies and was used as a song of celebration for long life by all kinds of people. This poem was sung at festivities and anniversaries.

It all started in 1869 when John William Fenton, an Irish military leader, went to Japan and suggested to Ōyama Iwao that a National Anthem be chosen for Japan. Ōyama agreed, chose this poem, created the melody, and officially launched the anthem in 1870.

During this time, the anthem underwent some changes in melody, and in 1888 the anthem was considered official, but when the Empire was dissolved after World War II, the anthem only became official again in 1999 along with the flag of Japan.

See the lyrics of Kimigayo below and its translation:

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Japanese	Romaji	Translation
君が代は	Kimigayo wa	May the reign of the Emperor
千代に八千代に	Chiyo ni yachiyo ni	last for thousands and thousands of generations,
さざれ（細）石の	Sazare-ishi no	Until the pebble
いわお（巌）となりて	Iwao to narite	becomes a rock
こけ（苔）の生すまで	Koke no musu made	And the moss comes to cover it.

The Old Versions of Kimigayo

Before reaching the current version, Kimigayo had other earlier versions with more stanzas; some had up to 3 parts, while the current Anthem is only one part with 5 lines. Its use underwent changes between the years 1880, 1888, and 1999.

The composers of the music of the Japanese anthem were Hiromori Hayashi and Yoshiisa Oku. Below, see how it is played in sheet music or tablature, along with the lyrics in hiragana.

Understanding the Japanese National Anthem

The word “kimi” refers to the Emperor, and the words contain the prayer: “May the reign of the Emperor last forever.” The poem was composed at a time when the emperor ruled directly over the people.

During World War II, Japan was an absolute monarchy that placed the emperor at the top. The Imperial Japanese Army invaded many Asian countries. The motivation was that they were fighting for the sacred Emperor.

Subsequently, after World War II, the Emperor became the symbol of Japan by the Constitution and lost all political power. Since then, various objections have been raised about singing “Kimigayo” as a national anthem.

However, at the moment, it continues to be sung at national festivals, international events, schools, and national holidays.

Curiosities about the National Anthem of Japan

Schools were required to sing the anthem and salute the flag at events and graduations; teachers were required to encourage students to respect the flag. But there was significant opposition from teachers advocating for students’ freedom of thought, belief, and conscience.

The approval of the law caused the suicide of a school principal in Hiroshima who could not resolve the dispute between the school board and his teachers regarding the use of the Hinomaru and “Kimigayo.”

Most Japanese considered “Kimigayo” the national anthem even before the approval of the Law on the National Flag and Anthem in 1999.

Originally, the poem began with the phrase “Waga Kimi wa” (‘you, my lord’), but the lyrics were changed during the Kamakura period to what we know as “Kimiga Yo wa” (‘your reign’).

Umiyukaba – Second National Anthem

In addition to the National Anthem Kimigayo, we have another very popular national song called Umiyukaba [海行かば], whose lyrics are based on a chōka poem by Ōtomo no Yakamochi from Man’yōshū (poem 4094), an anthology of Japanese poetry from the 8th century, set to music by Kiyoshi Nobutoki.

“Umi Yukaba” later became popular among the military, especially the Imperial Japanese Navy. It became popular during and also after World War II. After Japan surrendered in 1945, “Umi Yukaba” and other gunka were prohibited.

However, the prohibition by the occupying nation (USA) was lifted, and the song is now considered acceptable enough to be played publicly by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, regarded as the second National Anthem, which is also short.

Lyrics and Translation of Umi Yukaba

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海行かば水漬く屍 /	Umi yukaba / Mizuku kabane /	In the sea may my body be soaked with water,
山行かば草生す屍 /	Yama yukaba / Kusa musu kabane/	On land may it be with tall grass.
大君の / 辺にこそ死なめ /	Okimi no / he ni koso shiname /	Let me die beside my Sovereign!
かえりみは / せじ	Kaerimi wa seji	I will never look back.

List of National Songs of Japan

There are many other secondary or historical anthems that have been used by the Japanese to glorify the nation. Below we will show a complete list of Anthems or National Songs for you to research and understand details:

• Umiyukaba [海行かば] – By Ichimo Otomo composed by Kiyoshi Nobutoki;
• Era 2600 [紀元二千六百年] – By Yoshio Masuda composed by Yoshihachiro Mori;
• The Dawn (Youth Song) – Akeyukusora [明けゆく空 (青年の歌)];
• The sky is full of blue clouds – [空は青雲～全国青年団民謡];
• All women march forward [全女性進出行進曲];
• Baseball Tournament Song [全国中等学校優勝野球大会の歌];
• Aerial Song [航空唱歌];
• Young Power – [若い力 (国民体育大会歌)];
• The crown shines on you [栄冠は君に輝く];
• Green River of the Mountain [緑の山河];
• We Love [われら愛す];
• Young Japan [若い日本];
• Our Japan [われらの日本];
• Constitution [憲法音頭];
• Tokyo Olympics Ondo – NHK founded in 1964;
• For this day – songs from the Tokyo Olympics;
• World Expo Ondo;
• Hello from the world of country 1970;
• Pure White Earth (anthem of the Singapore Winter Olympics);
• Rainbow and Snow Ballad (Sapporo Olympic Theme Song);
• Radio Gymnastics Song – Ichiro Fujiyama, NHK founded in 1951
• Song of “PTA”;
• Green Song (Green Feather Fund Theme);

Kigenni Senropupakukun – Era 2600

A national song that was created in Japan in 1940 (the 15th year of Showa) in celebration of the “2600th Emperor Jinmu.” It became popular on radio broadcasts and became famous. Created by the Cabinet Celebration Party / Japan Broadcasting Corporation (now NHK).

Aikokukoushinkyoku – Patriotic March

The Patriotic March (Aikokukoushinkyoku) of 1937 is a favorite song of the Japanese, widely sung before the war. The lyrics are by Yukio Morikawa, and the composition is by Tokichi Setoguchi. The music shows how Japan symbolizes eternal life and the ideal of the Empire.

Videos of the Japanese National Anthem

To conclude, we will leave 2 videos; the first shows the Japanese national anthem being sung in a stadium:

The following video from our friend Santana shows some curiosities about this national anthem of Japan: