Research Spotlight: Prof Junichi Miyama

The Emperor System and Me

I am Junichi Miyama, the Guest Editor for the April 2026 e-bulletin issue. I am a historian at Chuo University, Tokyo. From April 2025 to March 2026, I have been engaged in research activities as a Visiting Scholar at the Sainsbury Institute. My research and life in Norwich has been truly wonderful. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone at the Institute for their support.

I specialise in modern Japanese history, specifically from the 19th to the 20th centuries. One of my main research themes is the emperor system. I first became interested in the emperor when I was six years old. In 1989, Emperor Hirohito (Emperor Shōwa) passed away. Around the time of his death, Japan was enveloped in an unusual atmosphere. I remember feeling, even as a child, a sense of wonder about who exactly the emperor was.

I majored in history at university and graduate school. Following that, I had the fortunate opportunity to work as a researcher at the Archives and Mausolea Department of the Imperial Household Agency for five years, from 2011 to 2016. The department holds numerous historical documents related to emperors and the imperial family. My primary responsibilities involved organising these documents, making them available to the public, and conducting research on them. It was there that I embarked on my research into the modern emperor system.

Invented Rituals

Amidst this, I decided to explore for myself what the death of Emperor Hirohito, which remained in my childhood memories, actually meant. First, I went back to the late 19th century and examined how the rituals surrounding the emperor and the imperial family were created. Imperial rituals were, perhaps surprisingly, established quite recently. In media reports, it is sometimes emphasised that imperial rituals are traditions that have continued for over 2,000 years. In reality, however, they have a history of merely 150 years or so at best. The rituals were Westernised and transformed into a format that involved not only the emperor and the nobility, but also the wider public.

Background of the Traditions

Why, then, were such rituals created? The emperor had been known to the populace since the Edo period. For the vast majority of people, however, the emperor did not represent tangible political power. The monarch rarely left the Imperial Palace and possessed only limited landholdings. Yet, the Meiji government, established after overthrowing the Tokugawa Shogunate, needed to position the emperor at the apex of the new nation. To this end, they set out to visualise the legitimacy of the emperor’s rule over Japan. They sought to demonstrate that the emperor was the traditional ruler of Japan. As part of this process, the emperor toured the country to show himself to the people, and imperial rituals were simultaneously transformed.

Rituals of Imperial Succession

Among the numerous rituals, those that played particularly crucial roles were the emperor’s funeral (Taisōgi) and the ceremonies related to the accession of a new emperor (the Enthronement Ceremony and the Daijōsai). During the Edo period, imperial funerals and enthronement ceremonies were fundamentally closed off to the general public. While the citizens of Kyoto could experience fragments of the rituals, the masses were essentially uninvolved. When the funeral procession passed, strict regulations were enforced. Furthermore, it was impossible to see the emperor’s figure at the enthronement ceremony. In contrast, modern emperors began to involve the public in these rituals. The funeral procession was seen off by large crowds, and nationwide celebratory events were held for the enthronement.

Diplomacy Through Rituals

Imperial rituals became open not only to the Japanese public but also to foreign countries. Distinguished guests, such as foreign ambassadors, were invited to state funerals and enthronement ceremonies. European royals even visited Japan to attend these rituals. Moreover, overseas newspapers and media began to report extensively on the proceedings. Foreign audiences who saw these reports gradually formed their impressions of Japan through the lens of imperial rituals.

Exchanges with the United Kingdom were particularly active. This pattern was established during the rituals surrounding the succession of emperors and British monarchs in the early 20th century. Members of the Japanese imperial family were dispatched to the state funeral of Edward VII in 1910 and the coronation of George V in 1911. Conversely, Prince Arthur from the UK attended the funeral of Emperor Mutsuhito (Emperor Meiji) in 1912.

Conflicts Surrounding the Emperor’s Death

Interactions between the Japanese imperial family and the royal families of other nations have historically aimed to affirm friendly relations. However, political and economic motives are frequently intertwined with these exchanges. When Emperor Hirohito passed away, opposition movements arose in several countries that had fought against Japan in the Second World War regarding the dispatch of royals to his funeral. In the UK, criticism erupted over the attendance of Prince Philip. At the same time, there were voices defending Japan, leading to a divide within the UK. Ultimately, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, prioritising economic relations with Japan, advised Queen Elizabeth II to send Prince Philip, and the Queen approved this.

I have advanced this research using Anglo-Japanese diplomatic documents, considering the roles played by today’s imperial and royal families from a historical perspective. Thanks to Dr Simon Kaner, I was also able to present my findings. The contents of the presentation and discussion can be viewed here. Currently, I am working towards publishing these findings as a book.

Junichi Miyama

Professor, Faculty of Letters, Chuo University & former Visiting Scholar, Sainsbury Institute (2025-26)