Kimigayo Anniversary Day

What Is Kimigayo Anniversary Day?

August 12th marks "Kimigayo Kinenbi" in Japan, commemorating the day in 1893 when the Ministry of Education published a notice in the official gazette of lyrics and scores for national holidays and festivals, designating eight songs -- including "Kimigayo," "Ichigatsu Tsuitachi" (New Year's Day), "Kigensetsu," and "Tenchōsetsu" -- as songs to be sung at elementary school ceremonies on holidays and festival days.

How "Kimigayo" Came to Be Established

The lyrics of "Kimigayo" trace back to a waka poem compiled in the Heian-era "Kokin Wakashu," and they are said to be the oldest lyrics of any national anthem in the world.

• How it was composed: British military band leader John William Fenton composed a melody for it during the Meiji era, but the lyrics and melody didn't fit well together, so Hiromori Hayashi and others from the Imperial Household's Gagaku (court music) Department reworked it
• Its premiere: first performed on November 3, 1880, at a court ceremony marking Tencho-setsu (the Emperor's birthday)
• Its establishment in education: the 1893 Ministry of Education notice positioned it as a ceremonial song sung at school holiday events; at that time its key was changed from the B-flat of the 1880 premiere to C, the key used today

Its Legal Status as the "National Anthem"

Although "Kimigayo" was treated as Japan's national anthem by long-standing custom, it wasn't formally established as such by law until the Act on National Flag and Anthem was promulgated and took effect on August 13, 1999.

The lyric "until pebbles grow into boulders, lush with moss" expresses an almost endless span of time in a vivid, visible image.

Tips for Marking This Day

• Learn about the meaning and origin of "Kimigayo"'s lyrics
• Learn about the historical process behind how it became the national anthem
• Compare it with the history and origins of national anthems from other countries
• Learn about the history of Japanese school songs and music education

From a Thousand-Year-Old Poem to a Sung National Anthem

The process by which a Heian-era waka poem became established as the national anthem through the Meiji educational system reflects the broader story of Japan's modernization. Let August 12th be a day to take a fresh look at the history of the anthem you hear in everyday life.