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Kimigayo - Too Old

Hanada Tattsu

後輩
12 Aug 2003
88
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We've all at one time heard the Japanese national anthem "Kimigayo". Well, IMO, this anthem is too old, it was written in the tenth century, and like me, most of the new Japanese generation say that Nihon should have a more hip national anthem, something grand and more modern, rather than something like Kimigayo.

I think the song "Toku E-Itkai" should be the anthem, it sounds much better.
 
I think the Kimigayo song should be played by electric guitar like what Takahiro Matsumoto did.

but hey,it is a national anthem,
no matter how old it is,people should respect it.
 
this anthem is too old,

too old? uh ok...If it was changed, the Japanese people who lived through WW2 would not accept it. The nation is having a hard time as it is with the history text books. They're not gonna change the anthem.
 
melody

I don't like the melody and think the words are too archaic. It praises the emperor, but last time I checked Japan is a representative democrcy at least technically. We can create some better ones, complementary anthems for some occasions. But we just keep the old one in case for special occasions.
 
I've never thought it's too old.
I like it.
when i listened to it for the first time,
I might have felt it's DASAI (not good)!
But now I never!
Can you understand the meaning of the words??
The word in Japanese is too difficult.
it has deep meanings.
I think it has quite different impression
the case you get them in English or Japanese.

If you listened to Kimigaya more times,
you'd become to like...I guess.....
and never translate them into English.
 
I like American and British anthems because they are upbeat. Japanese anthem is a little dark, but it's okay. I wonder how it sounds like if a solo singer singles it without music, just Americans often do. Or perhaps with chorus.
 
haha british anthem upbeat!? "God Save the Queen" is the most depressing anthem haha I think we should get a new one :)
 
Originally posted by Nanahara
haha british anthem upbeat!? "God Save the Queen" is the most depressing anthem haha I think we should get a new one :)

LOL, monarchies rule. =)

I listen to Kimigayo almost everyday, but still, the words sound too out of date for a modern country like Japan. Trust me, when this was written, the emperor was treated like a fatherly figure, but after Japan was crushed at the end of WWII, I think the people of Japan started to ease away from Emperor Hirohito (who, as of the book I'm reading on him, was quite the bossy guy) and become more indepenedent.
 
Originally posted by Nanahara
haha british anthem upbeat!? "God Save the Queen" is the most depressing anthem haha I think we should get a new one :)

LOL, monarchies rule. =)

I listen to Kimigayo almost everyday, but still, the words sound too out of date for a modern country like Japan. Trust me, when this was written, the emperor was treated like a fatherly figure, but after Japan was crushed at the end of WWII, I think the people of Japan started to ease away from Emperor Hirohito (who, as of the book I'm reading on him, was quite the bossy guy) and become more indepenedent.
 
The national anthem is like a symbol of the country, i you re-write it, you lose a piece of your traditions and culture.

Young Japanese are already very ignorant and disrespect their country too much. They dont even understand their own culture, too busy idling in the culture of others to keep their own...

Even though the Emperor is not seen in the same way as many years ago, he is still the "Son Of Heaven" and deserves respect !
 
Emperor Akihito is quite ticked off I hear, he doesn't like this sudden ignorance of the Japanese public. After all, he was the son of Hirohito, but still.
 
I Don't think the Japanese National Anthem Should be changed it is a tradition. The Japanese will lose their culture if they change to much of themselves. They're already starting to use English words in their sentences which is good for tourist but They'll lose their language if they start speaking full on English. This is one of the fears the Japanese feared when they declared isolationism back during the shogunate years. They feared they'd lose their face in other words their culture and who they are. Now days Japanese kids are probably getting disrespectful to their country and their culture. I believe there should be more respect to the Emperor and more care to whether or not their culture and traditions survive. Atleast the older generations realize it and hopefully want to keep it from dieing. I live in Hawaii and the Hawaiian people are struggling as it is to preserve their culture and people. I've seen Memoirs of a Geisha and I know it's a movie but I could see and obvious change in culture after the war ended and I didn't like it. Well Anyway I don't think the Kimigayo should be changed or modified. A rock version is ok since there are rock versions of the Star Spangled Banner but I don't think the song should be changed. Every day I play Kimigayo and I salute and pay respects to Japan I am proud of my Samurai heritage and my Japanese Ancestry I am also proud of my Hawaiian and Okinawa ancestry. I never really learned much about my German and Irish ancestry but I'm proud of them as well. I pay respects to Hawai'i and the United states by Playing Hawai'i Pono'i(Hawaiian National Anthem) and the Star Spangled Banner too.


TENNO HAIKA BANZAI!!!
 
How many generations of adults have said the new generation is losing their culture and language? Its the same old, over and over.

I don't agree with changing the anthem for the reasons given. And although the importance and power of the Emporer has been sidelined in the last half century it doesn't change what he is and what he means for Japan.
 
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...but if they did (why?) change it, perhaps simply, Pink Lady's "Southpaw".

edit: The Asahi Shimbun | Breaking News, Japan News and Analysis

Tokyo's board of education has ordered principals of public high schools to ensure that all students stand and sing "Kimigayo" during school ceremonies, sources said.

The order also applies to schools for deaf, blind and mentally disabled students.
Great.
 
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