History
Japan is the oldest continuing hereditary monarchy in the world. In much the same sense as the British Crown, the Chrysanthemum Throne is an abstract metonymic concept that represents the monarch and the legal authority for the existence of the government.
Unlike its British counterpart, the concepts of Japanese monarchy evolved differently before 1947 when there was, for example, no perceived separation of the property of the nation-state from the person and personal holdings of the emperor.
According to legend, the Japanese monarchy is said to have been founded in 660 BC by Emperor Jimmu and the current Emperor is the 125th monarch to occupy the Chrysanthemum Throne. The extant historical records only reach back to Emperor Ōjin, who is considered to have reigned into the early 4th century.
In the 1920s, Hirohito served as Regent during several years of his father's reign, when Emperor Taishō was physically unable to fulfill his Imperial duties. However, the Prince Regent lacked the symbolic powers of the throne which he could only attain after his father's death.
The current Constitution of Japan considers the Emperor as a "symbol of the state and the unity of its people." The modern emperor is a constitutional monarch.
The metonymic meanings of "Chrysanthemum Throne" encompass the modern monarchy and the chronological list of legendary and historical monarchs of Japan. It is a term with fungible uses.
Read more about this topic: Chrysanthemum Throne
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