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The Emperor of Japan has played an important role as the head of state for a long time. Although the status of the Emperor of Japan has changed from head of state to national symbol under the Peace Constitution, his high status in Japanese society has not diminished. However, you may be wondering why the former supreme ruler was called "Emperor"? Is this designation related to China? In fact, the answer is yes.
The word "Emperor" originally referred to the Tianhuang clan in Chinese mythology, according to legend, he was the first human monarch after Pangu opened the heavens and the earth, and the ancestor of the Fuxi clan and the Yanhuang emperors, and was the bloodline source of the Chinese nation. Surprisingly, it was not Japan who initially used "Emperor" as a monarchical title, but the "Emperor of Heaven" in Chinese history, that is, Li Zhi of the Tang Dynasty.
During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang and Li Zhi, he achieved brilliant victories. He unified the Six Kingdoms, pacified Mobei, conquered the Western Regions, and expanded the territory of the Tang Dynasty to an astonishing 12.37 million square kilometers. During the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Tang, the country prospered, the world was peaceful, and the world was prosperous, and China became a true heavenly kingdom, and the Tang Dynasty reached its peak.
In order to show his great achievements, Emperor Gaozong of Tang went to Mount Tai in 674 AD to seal Zen, which marked his special status. At the consecration ceremony, he ordered that his title of emperor be changed to "Emperor", which means level with the sky. At the same time, he named Empress Wu Zetian "Queen of Heaven", and the country entered a new situation of "Emperor Tianhou and Two Holy Dynasties". This situation lasted until his death, when he was nicknamed "Emperor of Heaven".
However, during the reign of Li Zhi, a war broke out between China and Japan, the Battle of Baijiangkou. Although Japan sent a large army, the Tang army achieved an overwhelming victory with a small number of troops, consolidating the Tang Dynasty's hegemony in East Asia. This also made Japan deeply aware of the great power of the Chinese Tang Dynasty. Since then, Japan has sent envoys to learn China's culture, political system, and military technology, which has gradually evolved into a kind of copying.
Japan even copied place names, for example, when Kyoto was originally planned, the east was named "Luoyang" and the west was named "Chang'an", but because "Chang'an" was located in a swamp, it could not be built, so Kyoto only built "Luoyang", so Kyoto is also called "Luoyang". In addition, Japan imitated the bureaucratic system and official names of the Tang Dynasty, although the title "emperor" was not openly used at the time.
Until Emperor Zhongzong of Tang succeeded to the throne, he did not continue to use the title "Emperor", but used other titles to highlight the special status of the previous emperor. However, six years later, Emperor Shogun of Japan issued the Asuka Jogahara Decree and began to proclaim himself "Emperor" in Japan. This move also included posthumously naming previous Japanese rulers "emperors", such as Queen Suiko, and Tenmu Daiwang as Tenmu Emperor, all the way to their ancestor Jinmu Daiwang (神武宮).
Although Japanese rulers called themselves "emperors," they still humbly referred to themselves as daiwang or king in their contacts with Chinese emperors. The Chinese dynasty also made the de facto ruler of Japan king several times. This state of affairs continued until after the Meiji Restoration, when Japanese rulers called themselves "emperors" internally and "emperors" externally, and China entered the republican era.
Therefore, although the title "Emperor" appeared in Japanese history, its original use and inspiration originated from the Tang Dynasty in China, and Japan's respect and respect for China can be seen in the use of this title.
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