Every country has experienced many dynasties, such as the history of the mainland for more than 5,000 years, and there are too many dynasties.
Of the dynasties experienced on the mainland, the longest surviving was the Zhou Dynasty, which ruled for 790 years. Compared with the Zhou Dynasty, even the prosperous Tang Dynasty was replaced in 289 years.
In the world, there is also a long-lived dynasty, from its establishment to the present, has existed for 2682 years, it seems that the world's "long time will be divided, long time will be united" does not work for it. Such an ancient dynasty, think it is a remote small country, no, it is next door to us in Japan.
Japan is an island country, the political system is a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, the characteristics of this political system are: the parliament is the highest legislative organ and organ of power of the country, the monarch is only a symbolic head of state, mostly responsible for ceremonial affairs, there is no real power, the symbol of the country is the emperor of Japan.
Japan's monarchy continues to this day, only this only dynasty, that is, the Chrysanthemum Dynasty, known as the "Ten Thousand Generations", since the founding of Japan, it has never stopped, if a dynasty on the mainland also insists on this, it will exist for more time than it.
The first emperor of the Chrysanthemum Dynasty, Emperor Shinmu, established the country in 660 BC, and the chrysanthemum dynasty has been passed down for 126 generations now, Emperor Naruhito.
When the Chrysanthemum Dynasty was founded, the mainland was in the Eastern Zhou Period, but unfortunately the Zhou Dynasty was destroyed in 256 BC, and after a scuffle, the Qin Dynasty Zhou unified the world.
Everyone wants their dynasty to be passed on from generation to generation. Japan's national anthem, "The Emperor's Generation," is a good expression of their ambitions.
"Emperor's Generation" was written during the Meiji period, and the lyrics mean that the emperor will pass on eight thousand generations. Although it has only been passed down for 126 generations now, the Chrysanthemum Dynasty has not been changed from dynasty to dynasty, and it is very powerful in the world.
Why did the Chrysanthemum Dynasty live so long? Even when shoguns came to assume real power over the emperor, they did not think of taking the emperor's place and rebuilding an era.
Japan has a long history of military participation in politics, and has experienced three shogunates in the history of the Kamakura shogunate, the Muromachi shogunate, and the Tokugawa shogunate, and the emperor was suspended for more than 600 years until the Meiji Restoration recaptured power.
One reason as to why shoguns did not usurp the throne and seek power was that Japan embraced Shintoism, and the emperor was regarded as a descendant of the highest god of Shintoism, the god Amaterasu.
The Emperor of Japan is regarded as a belief by the Japanese people and is with God.
Because of the people's will, it is not cost-effective for shoguns to kill the emperor, so it is better to just seek power, let the emperor be a puppet in name only, and when necessary, these emperors can still stand in front as cannon fodder. As long as the emperor obeys, if he does not obey, he will kill and support a puppet again.
In our ancient dynasties, there were also phenomena of foreign relations monopolizing power, eunuch dictatorship, and power subjects interfering in government affairs. The emperor is only a symbol of the cohesion of a country, and whose hands the government is in is the most important. The emperor cannot threaten the ruler, but can also start to protect the people's hearts.
Therefore, the Japanese emperor can only play the role of spiritual leader, the power is in the hands of the parliament, and it does not matter if the emperor is raised.
Why do the Japanese people believe in the emperor so much? Just because the Emperor said he was a descendant of God? That has to start with the myths that have been handed down in Japan.
Japan is an island country, information is closed, when the wilderness, the people on the island suffered from the fierce god cruelty, Amaterasu god's grandson can not look down, sympathy for these people, so under the guidance of the eight-foot god bird, the next to the island to save the people.
After the disaster passed, the local people followed and supported the god, so he established the Chrysanthemum Dynasty and became the first emperor, Emperor Shenmu. In addition, Emperor Shenmu lived to the age of 126, and in the hearts of the Japanese people, he confirmed his identity as a descendant of the god Amaterasu.
The Japanese people also did their best to protect the emperor, and the Japanese soldiers who lost the war would use their samurai spirit to show their loyalty to the emperor and commit suicide by dissecting themselves, preferring to commit suicide rather than be captured, otherwise they would be too ashamed of the emperor.
As for why they use chrysanthemums, it is said that the Japanese came to study in our Tang Dynasty, because the Tang people like chrysanthemums, they learned to go back and began to respect chrysanthemums, and later became the emblem of the royal family. In order to ensure the inheritance of the dynasty, they were very strict with the bloodline of the heirs.
In the long period of historical changes, the Chrysanthemum Dynasty has also experienced many shocks, and after surviving by chance, the real crisis is World War II.
As a defeated country, the mainstream countries demanded the abolition of the Japanese monarchy, but the Americans were more cunning, knowing that everything would be a good way to meet in the future, so they did not give a cruel hand to Japan and wanted to use Japan to contain the Soviet Union in East Asia.
The authority of the emperor was deeply ingrained in the hearts of the Japanese, so the Japanese emperor was retained.