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The Chrysanthemum Throne: A History of the Emperors of Japan
by Peter Martin
Will help many to gain insights into Japan's unique imperial institution.... Handsomely produced. --Journal of Asian Studies
The earliest histories of Japan recount the myth of the creation of the islands of Japan in the age of the gods, and record the descent of the imperial dynasty from Amaterasu, the sun goddess, through the first earthly emperor Jimmu.
The mythical Jimmu's reign was alleged to have begun in the year 660 BC and he and the first dozen or so of his successors on the traditional list of 125 emperors and empresses regnant are now discounted.
Even so, reliable records indicate that a continous Japanese imperial dynasty can be traced for some 1,600 years, making it the world's oldest hereditary monarchy, and it has played a crucial role in maintaining the identity of Japan as it has progressed towards world power status.
In this first general study of the Japanese imperial institution throughout its history, Peter Martin brings together inaccessible material, much of it available only in Japanese. He surveys the history and political and religious status of the monarchy of Japan from its mythological origins to our own times.
Although the first emperors were warrior chieftains, the imperial throne came to have a more priestly significance and this religious role has been central in the history of Japanese culture.
In the modern era, the Shinto religion was used to support the forging of a national identity, and the emperor was transformed from a high priest to a deity, a status later renouced by Emperor Hirohito in 1946.
The Chrysanthemum Throne tells a fascinating story of the ebb and flow of the fortunes of the Japanese imperial dynasty, often mere puppets manipulated by the real wielders of power -- the feudal warlords and later the shoguns. In the Heian period (794-1185) the imperial court at Kyoto was the center for a remarkable flowering of cultural activity, with the emperors as patrons of the arts. Thereafter, the imperial court went into decline, but saw a remarkable renaissance after the reopening of Japan in the nineteenth century.
Peter Martin throws new light on the role played by the throne since the Meiji restoration in 1868 and Japan's subsequent emergence as one of the two leading economic powers in the world today.
Fully illustrated in b&w and color, The Chrysanthemum offers a unique account of a uniquely durable monarchy.
CONDITION: Hard Cover w/ DJ, new with light wear to DJ from shelving only. 208 pages, published May 1998
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