Lucas Beaumont
Kimigayo is the national anthem of Japan. It was only in 1999 that this anthem was recognized in Japan. The national anthem was created in 1869-70 when a visiting Irish military officer suggested to a Japanese field marshal, Iwao Oyama that a national anthem should be created. Japan, until then, had no national anthem. This newly created national anthem was played in front of the Japanese emperor, who didn’t like the melody and this version was discarded.
In 1880, a government agency in Japan, the Imperial Household Agency, adopted a new melody composed by both Yoshiisa Oku and Akimori Hayashi. It took elements from both traditional Japanese and western hymns. Soon the Ministry of Education in Japan introduced the national anthem in all the schools.
Japanese national anthem is one of them smallest national anthems in the world.
It is worded like this this:
Kimigayo wa
Chiyo ni yachiyo ni
Sazare-ishi no
Iwao to narite
Koke no musu made
