"Pomp and Circumstance March" and the Liberal Democratic Party

Japan's ruling party, Liberal Democratic Party is campaigning for the coming upper house election.

Now, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe himself is talking directly to the public through TV campaign commercials with the magnificent music, "Pomp and Circumstance March".

This music is called as the SECOND BRITISH NATIONAL ANTHEM.

I was quite embarrassed when I first watched this commercial film.

How do you think?

This is the commercial site.

http://www.jimin.jp/jimin/movies/html/sansen/cm.html

Click the middle button, and you will watch and listen to the TV commercial.

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ﾅｽﾂｩ窶督ｯ窶怡CM
(30窶｢bﾆ弛ﾂーﾆ淡ﾆ停?｡ﾆ停??
56K
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Postscript

This music is somewhat popular among Japanese. This music is also used as BGM in the TV commercial film that advertises "窶独停?挂窶慊､窶｢窶ｦ", or mapo tofu in English. Most Japanese know that this mapo tofu is Chinese food.

For years & years .

In high school, that music is played for senior graduation. In 4 years of high school band, I must have played that song several hundred times. It has been around for many years and makes a good background music filler. Political messages and ads are probably soon forgotte.

Uncle Frank

☝

Cherry I hate to say this to you but Rule Britannia is considered by many English to be our second national anthem (which some people mistakenly think is the national anthem), followed by Land of Hope and Glory.

Sir Edward Elgars five Pomp and Circumstance Marches are used in this country but not as much as Land of Hope and Glory and Rule Britannia.

I agree with EH, Rule Britannia is largely regarded as our no 2 here, but Land of Hope and Glory and Pomp and Circumstance are more or less equal imo (and in fact all four get a run out at that most British of British institutions - the quite wonderful Last Night of the Proms).

I take your point - they all seem quintessentially British, so it's strange (or sometimes worse!) for us here to see them elsewhere.

For me, though, after hearing Auld Lang Syne blaring out in shops when it's near closing time in Japan, nothing surprises me anymore!!