National Foundation Day, Japan

National Foundation Day is a national holiday in Japan, held on 11th February, to celebrate the founding of the nation and the Imperial line by the mythical "First Emperor", Jimmu.

The origins of National Foundation Day are lost in myth, as political intrigues abound in the history of the Japan. The significance of 11th February, said to date back to 660 BC, is a matter of conjecture especially as Emperor Jimmu is believed never to have existed!

Originally called Empire Day, National Foundation Day was a day of celebration, and as a Public Holiday dates only to 1873. Empire Day (Kigensetsu) was a day of celebrating with parades and large festivals and one of the four main holidays in the Japanese calendar. It relied greatly on Shinto mythology and was used to reinforce the status of Japanese nobility. Kigensetsu was abolished after World War II and not re-established (under its new name) until 1966.

National Foundation Day has been stripped of its overt references to the Emperor, but it is still a day on which the Japanese express their love for the nation and show their patriotic nature. Celebrations are, however, somewhat muted, and often limited to the flying of the national flag; the day still being "new" to most Japanese and controversial in the light of modern history.

If you're looking for a way to commemorate this event, you might be interested in this article: Commemorations with Cross Stitch

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