Legendary Facts About Japanese Emperors
The Chrysanthemum Throne features the longest continuous imperial line of succession in the world. It dates all the way back to the 660 BC and legend has it that the emperors and empresses of Japan were descended from gods.
With 125 different emperors across its history, the Japanese imperial throne is bound to have some pretty wild stories.
From the reign of one of the few empresses to the present day academics of Emperor Akihito, the history of the imperial family is one with many different facets.
Sometimes the emperors happily sat in the background of political affairs; at other times, emperors were at the forefront of nationalistic cult followings.
Japanese emperors have led varied lives, so here are 42 facts to get you started into their long and fascinating history.
42. Making Bank
In 1881, Empress Jingū became the first woman to appear on a Japanese banknote. Or, well, an approximation of the Empress made it onto the banknote, at least.
The image of Jingū was created by the artist Edoardo Chiossone, who had used an employee at the Printing House of the Japanese government as his model. That’s because no actual image survives of the legendary empress.
In fact, there’s no historical record of her existence outside of legends and woodblock carvings.
40. Fleeing to the Country
As WWII was drawing to a close, Akihito was taken out of his class at Peers’ School in Tokyo and relocated to the countryside where he would be safe from American throwing explosive devices.
Akihito eventually returned to Tokyo after the conflict and resumed his schooling, but by that time the role of the Emperor was greatly changed and so he had to start pursuing a different kind of education.
39. Hitting the Books
When Akihito returned to Tokyo after the end of WWII, his studies became more focused on Japan’s new relationship with the United States.
He learned English and studied Western culture with his American tutor Elizabeth Gray Vining, who was a Quaker.
Just like his father, Akihito was very interested in studying marine biology and it became his subject of choice during his university education. Like father, like son!
38. Sun Showers
Emperor Jimmu, the first Japanese Emperor, was descended from the heavens to lead to imperial rule. At least, that’s according to Japanese mythology. The story goes that Jimmu was a descendant of Amaterasu and Susanoo.
Amaterasu is the sun goddess in Japanese folk tradition and Susanoo is the storm god.
