Ode_of_Showa_Restoration

Ode of Showa Restoration

Ode of Showa Restoration

Anthem of the Young Officers Movement

The Ode of Showa Restoration (昭和維新（しょうわいしん）の歌（うた）, shōwaishin no uta) is a 1930 song by Japanese naval officer Mikami Taku. It was composed as an anthem for the Young Officers Movement.

The song makes strong appeal to natural and religious imagery. It also references the tragic ancient Chinese hero Qu Yuan, a righteous official and poet of the doomed Chu State in pre-imperial China.

Background

The Showa Restoration was a movement promoted by Japanese author Kita Ikki, with the goal of restoring power to the newly enthroned Japanese Emperor Hirohito and abolishing the liberal Taishō democracy.[1] The aims of the "Showa Restoration" were similar to the Meiji Restoration as the groups who envisioned it imagined a small group of qualified people backing up a strong Emperor. The Cherry Blossom Society envisioned such a restoration.[2]

The 2-26 Incident was another attempt to bring it about, failing heavily because they were unable to secure the support of the Emperor.[3] The chief conspirators surrendered hoping to make their trial advance the cause, which was foiled by having the trials conducted secretly.[4]

Although all such attempts failed, it was a first step on the rise of Japanese militarism.

Lyrics[5]

More information English translation, Japanese lyrics ...
  1. [P 1]
    The Miluo River that feeds into Dongting Lake is where Qu Yuan famously drowned himself in protest.
  2. [P 2]
    “Soil and Grain” is an ancient literary Chinese term for the nation and its land. Its use here equips the piece with strong sense of gravity.
  3. [P 3]
    The Sino-Japanese term 丈夫, used here and in the fifth stanza, means something like “a masculine character.”
  4. [P 4]
    The Japanese kanji here means “opportunity” but its specified phonetic reading means “time.”
  5. [P 5]
    “Sorrow at Parting” (Li Sao) is one of Qu Yuan’s most famous works. Here, the poet despairs that he has been plotted against by evil factions at court with his resulting rejection by his lord and then recounts a series of shamanistic spirit journeys to various mythological realms.

References

  1. [1]
    James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 414 ISBN 0-393-04156-5
  2. [2]
    James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 415 ISBN 0-393-04156-5
  3. [3]
    Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army p 188 ISBN 0-394-56935-0
  4. [4]
    Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army p 193 ISBN 0-394-56935-0
  5. [5]
    "青年日本の歌（昭和維新の歌）". gunka.sakura.ne.jp. Retrieved 2017-06-02.
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