On February 11, Japan celebrates Kenkoku Kinen no Hi, or National Foundation Day. It is a day when patriotic Japanese put up the red circle hinomaru flag in front of their houses, and maybe make a visit to the local shrine to pay their respects to the powers that be. It is a holiday not unlike the Fourth of July here in America–it is day to have fun, have off, and have a moment to think about how cool it is to be a citizen of your country.

So what a surprise it was to discover that National Foundation Day is one of the most controversial holidays observed in Japan today. There are some very vocal segments of the population that believe this holiday should be abolished, as it is founded in myth–not history–and was created, they contend, by the conservative elite as nothing more than a demagogic tool to control the masses.

Before the end of World War II, this day was known as Kigensetsu, or Empire Day, the anniversary of the ascension of Japan’s first Emperor, Jimmu, to the Japanese throne in 660 B.C. Emperor Jimmu is considered to be a direct descendent of Amaterasu Omikami, the Sun Goddess, who bestowed the Imperial regalia of a sword, a mirror, and a curved jewel to her grandson, Ninigi no Mikoto, who then passed it on to his great-grandson, Jimmu. This regalia, said to still be housed in shrines around Japan, gives its possessor the right to rule the people of Japan.

Because accounts of Jimmu’s ancestry and life are filled with mythical symbols and characters (he meets quite a few people with tails!), most scholars agree that Jimmu is not a historical, but a legendary personage. In 2000, however, a huge debate swirled over a middle school textbook that presented Jimmu and other mythical rulers as part of Japan’s official history. Eminent Japanese historians circulated petitions requesting a recall of the text, but it seems their appeals were in vain. In general, all over the world, whenever Jimmu is mentioned, even in news reports, he is mentioned as a historical figure.

Nevertheless, all succeeding emperors, including present-day Emperor Heisei (Akihito), claim direct descent from Jimmu, and until the Showa emperor, Hirohito, renounced his divinity as part of Japan’s surrender at the end of World War II, all emperors (and occasional empresses), were not only considered of divine origin, they were also considered the physical embodiment of Japan. In fact, they have a word in Japanese, kokutai, which literally means "body of the country". It is a word that the emperor uses to not only describe Japan, but himself as well. They are one and the same.

You would think, then, given the long imperial tradition, that Kigensetsu has been celebrated over hundreds of years in Japan in honor of its history and monarchy, but this turns out not to be the case. Except for a few enterprising upstarts here and there, Japanese emperors were considered too pure and above the affairs of mortal men to be meddling in the business of governing. That was left to powerful warlords and politically savvy family clans. It wasn’t until the late 1800’s, when the Americans and other Western powers precipitated the fall of the ruling shogun classes, that the idea of Emperor as Supreme Ruler came about.

This shift during the Meiji Restoration, named after the emperor who was restored to power. It was at this time that several steps were taken to solidify what has been described as "the imperial cult". Central to this was the establishment of the Kigensetsu holiday, and it was at this time that it was decided that Jimmu had become Emperor of a united Japan in what was the equivalent of February 11, 660 B.C. according to the Western calendar. Rites were accorded and great celebrations coordinated in honor of the Emperor–past and present ones alike.

Another institution established by Emperor Meiji at this time is roughly translated as the Right to Name Era. As many who have been on a Japanese train have noticed, the date on tickets–and everything else in Japan for that matter–are marked with a different year than the Western calendar. That is because years are marked off from the beginning of each emperor’s reign. This year, for example, is Heisei 14, marking 14 years since the Showa Emperor (Hirohito) died and the Heisei Emperor (Akihito) ascended to the throne. This Right to Name Era is a point of contention for many scholars, because eras used to be named for any important event or historical period, but Emperor Meiji restricted its use exclusively to imperial reigns, a ploy–contend the critics–to remind loyal Japanese subjects of their Emperor as they rode trains, bought dated perishables, and transacted their daily business.

As for Kigensetsu, it began as religious glorification and legitimization of the Emperor, but as time went on, it took on a particularly nationalistic flair–non-participation was nothing short of treason. It became one of the chief religious holidays of the Shinto religion, and did much to bolster the Japanese people’s belief in their own uniqueness and superiority, as well as give them a fervent esprit de corps and unity of purpose that served them well when they eventually turned a conquering eye towards Asia. The year 1940, as Japan formally joined Germany and Italy as an Axis power, was particularly auspicious for the Japanese–it marked the 2600th glorious year since Emperor Jimmu ascended to the Japanese throne.

Although the Emperor had supreme power over his land and people, there is much debate to this day as to how much influence he actually had, especially during World War II. According to one scholar, MacArthur excused Emperor Hirohito from publicly taking responsibility in order to keep the Japanese people calm during the chaotic days after the war. On the other hand, history has shown that Emperors have always been tools of more powerful forces, be they rich families, samurai clans, or military strongmen.

In 1948, Kigensetsu was abolished as a national holiday. With the Japanese surrender, the Emperor was no longer divine, and the rabid patriotism that spawned a kamikaze nation was frowned upon. Perhaps the Japanese people realized how blinded they had become in the name of their country, and no longer wanted to be reminded of the the rites and rallies that brought them to the darkest moments of their history. In fact, to this day, the very symbol of Japan, the signature red circle on a white background (hinomaru), is not the constitutionally-endorsed flag of Japan. Nor is the song Kimigayo, played at the Olympics and sung by schoolchildren, considered the official national anthem because the ancient song glorifies the reign of emperors.

Due to pressures that even the Japanese are hard-pressed to understand, Kigensetsu was reinstated in 1967 but given a new, secular name, Kenkoku Kinen no Hi or National Foundation Day. Now stripped of its religious and imperial overtones, it is simply a day to celebrate being Japanese. This year, the now mortal Emperor and Empress will probably come out of the Imperial Palace and address the nation, trying very much to look like the ideal Japanese middle class family. But given the debate over whether this holiday should be celebrated at all, it must be with mixed emotions that the Japanese wave their flags, looking upon the family that represents everything traditional about Japan and its ancient culture, yet reminds them of a past filled with ultra-nationalism, desperate times, and a war that brought their country to the brink of destruction.