Japan

11 February is Japan's National Foundation Day: this is traditionally held to be the anniversary of the day Emperor Jimmu founded Japan in 660 BC. As the mythical founder of Japan, Emperor Jimmu is listed as the first emperor in traditional lists of emperors. Tradition holds it that Jimmu is a direct descendent of the sun goddess Amaterasu.

The celebration of this foundation day (and it's transferal to a Gregorian calendar) was instigated in 1872. It was celebrated as a national holiday from this time until 1948, until this celebration was suspended; in 1966 it was reinstated as "National Foundation Day" holiday, or Kenkoku Kinen no hi.

Today's poem (a bite-sized one - at least keeping in mind that Japan gave us the haiku) was written by the Japanese poet Shuntaro Tanikawa. According to the Vintage Book of Contemporary World Poetry (a volume I recommend to everyone - one of the only anthologies I've ever read cover to cover) he writes on Western culture, both high and low - this puts me in mind of the way Japanese culture renews a lot of other Western cultural artifacts. (I'm always fascinated with how Japanese fashion refigures the world of western "couture." This poem is translated by Harold Wright.

Stone and Light

The stone doesn't repel the light,
The stone doesn't absorb the light.
On the stone sits a deerfly,
The light is radiant in its downy hair.

The light just now arrived on earth.


-Shuntaro Tanikawa, trans Harold Wright
Vintage Book of Contemporary World Poetry