Bansei ikkei

History

Bansei ikkei myth was promoted by scholars of ancient Japanese thought and culture, including Motoori Norinaga, as a concept emphasizing Japan's superiority over foreign countries.

Article 1 of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan, it was written as follows: "The Empire of Japan shall be reigned over and governed by a line of Emperors unbroken for ages eternal." (Japanese: 大日本帝󠄁國ハ萬世一系ノ天皇之ヲ統治ス)

In 1940, figures inside and outside the Japanese government held the most comprehensive and grand national celebration, the 2,600th anniversary celebration of the Empire of Japan. The Japanese defined themselves, their country, and their Empire through the celebration of Emperor Jimmu's accession in 660 B.C. This celebration symbolized the culmination of the bansei ikkei ideology, which was the centerpiece of modern Japanese identity until the legitimacy of imperial worship was bruised by defeat in 1945.