The birth of banzai

The promulgation of Japan's first modern constitution in 1889 was followed by a festival, which saw the inaugural cheering of banzai by crowds to greet the Meiji Emperor as he passed by. Respect for the imperial family had been gradually building during the previous decades, but for many of the Japanese people the Emperor remained a mysterious, distant being, when not simply an inconvenience. It was only in 1889, with the cheering of banzai, the singing of the national anthem and the dissemination of the imperial portrait, that the Emperor became a fully modern monarch. This article explores the significance of this moment for the relationship between Emperor and people and for the latter's development of their self-awareness as a nation. The constitution was problematic, in that many people were excluded from the electorate, but cheering banzai provided a moment when the Japanese people could experience a sense of unity with each other and their sovereign