TENNO TANJOBI: THE PARTY THAT CHANGES

Among the numerous national anniversaries in Japan there is one that is "itinerant" and which, in a certain sense, has not yet been celebrated: it is Tenno Tanjobi (天皇誕生), the Emperor's Birthday.
Let's find out why together. A little girl waves flags during Tenno Tanjobi © Patrick Hochner

The origins of the Festival are ancient, but only from 1948 onwards did it take the name of Tenno Tanjobi, becoming "the festival that changes" : the day on which it is celebrated, in fact, varies based on the Emperor in office, of whom celebrate birthday. Celebrations for the rise of Japan's new emperor Naruhito © Japan Forward

The festival is truly heartfelt in Japan, both for the possibility of celebrating its Emperor - who rarely exposes himself in public - and because it is one of the few opportunities to admire the Imperial Gardens , an almost magical space, timeless and far from the frenzy of Japanese daily life. In fact, these, usually closed to the public , are opened only on this occasion and on January 2nd, during the greeting of the new year.
A wonderful glimpse of the gardens of the Imperial Palace, Tokyo © Japan in a nutshell

During Tenno Tanjobi, therefore, Japan has the honor of celebrating the Emperor and his family up close. The Gardens are filled with elderly people, adults and children waving their Japanese flag and shouting in chorus " Banzai! ” (万歳- “live up to ten thousand years”), wish long life to the emperor and his family who, from the balcony of the Palace, offer their greetings and thanks to the country. However, a very short honor for the citizens: the ritual, in fact, lasts a total of three minutes.
The Emperor and his Family greet and thank the crowd during the ceremony © Jobs in Japan

The crowd is usually large. The figure of the Emperor, in fact, still remains very important for the Japanese people today . In the past, the reigning Emperor was considered an almost divine figure. Today this is no longer the case, but it still remains a strong symbol of harmony and balance for the country and therefore continues to enjoy great respect. A painting of the Japanese Imperial Family during the Meiji Period © Toyohara Chikanobu

Curiosity? We were saying that, in a certain sense, this holiday has not yet been celebrated.
This is because in 2019, former Emperor Akihito abdicated in favor of his son Naruhito and therefore decided not to celebrate the holiday, which should have taken place on December 23rd. In 2020 and 2021, however, the Festival should have been held on February 23, but due to Covid-19, the celebrations were blocked once again.
Will 2022 be the right year to celebrate Emperor Naruhito's first real Tenno Tanjobi ?

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