Ode of Showa Restoration

The Ode of Showa Restoration (昭和維新の歌 shōwaishin no uta) is a 1930 song by Japanese naval officer Mikami Taku. It was composed as an anthem for the Young Officers Movement.

The song makes strong appeal to natural and religious imagery. It also references the tragic ancient Chinese hero Qu Yuan, a righteous official and poet of the doomed Chu State in pre-imperial China.

Background

The Showa Restoration was a movement promoted by Japanese author Kita Ikki, with the goal of restoring power to the newly enthroned Japanese Emperor Hirohito and abolishing the liberal Taishō democracy.[1] The aims of the "Showa Restoration" were similar to the Meiji Restoration as the groups who envisioned it imagined a small group of qualified people backing up a strong Emperor. The Cherry Blossom Society envisioned such a restoration.[2]

The 2-26 Incident was another attempt to bring it about, failing heavily because they were unable to secure the support of the Emperor.[3] The chief conspirators surrendered hoping to make their trial advance the cause, which was foiled by having the trials conducted secretly.[4]

Although all such attempts failed, it was a first step on the rise of Japanese militarism.

Lyrics[5]

English translation	Japanese lyrics
Angry waves swell from the depths of the Miluo[P 1] Mount Wu's peak is hazy with swirling clouds Alone I stand in this murky and turbid world My blood simmers in righteous anger	汨羅の淵に波騒ぎ巫山の雲は乱れ飛ぶ混濁の世に我れ立てば義憤に燃えて血潮湧く
The monied elite, beholden to nought but wealth and status Thinking nothing of this land and its fate High and mighty are the zaibatsus and their ilk In their hearts are nowhere our soil and grain[P 2]	権門上に傲れども国を憂ふる誠なし財閥富を誇れども社稷を思ふ心なし
Alas, these signs of the nation's collapse The masses dancing blindly in the stupor of this world In this nightmare, a political din The world is reduced to a round of Go	ああ人栄え国亡ぶ盲たる民世に踊る治乱興亡夢に似て世は一局の碁なりけり
Under the spring sky of the Showa Restoration The man[P 3] who marshals a righteous cause In his heart is the march of a million troops Ready to fall like ten thousand sakura blossoms	昭和維新の春の空正義に結ぶ丈夫が胸裡百万兵足りて散るや万朶の桜花
Transcending the shell of crumbled bones One body among the wisps of clouds Standing up with concern for the nation the righteous man's ode begins	古びし死骸乗り越えて雲漂揺の身は一つ国を憂ひて立つからは丈夫の歌なからめや
Whether the rage of heaven or the cries of earth The roar of the epoch is thundering now From the people's sleep, endless kalpa past Arise, Japan, at this morn's light!	天の怒りか地の声かそもただならぬ響あり民永劫の眠りより醒めよ日本の朝ぼらけ
Storm clouds gather in the heavens nine Across the four seas, waves rage and crash The hour[P 4] of revolution is here and nigh Sweeping Japan like the winds of dusk	見よ九天の雲は垂れ四海の水は雄叫びて革新の機到りぬと吹くや日本の夕嵐
O thee boundless sky and land A labyrinth path the man must tread Of the splendors and praises in this dusty earth Whose high castle may yet be seen?	ああうらぶれし天地の迷ひの道を人はゆく栄華を誇る塵の世に誰が高楼の眺めぞや
Fame and glory are but the figments of a dream What is immutable is the truth alone Feeling the will and spirit of mortal life Who holds the keys to failure or success?	功名何ぞ夢の跡消えざるものはただ誠人生意気に感じては成否を誰かあげつらふ
A tragic ode, the Sorrow at Parting[P 5] Here the heavy elegy finds its end Setting our hearts we draw our swords A surging sweep, a dance in blood	やめよ離騒の一悲曲悲歌慷慨の日は去りぬわれらが剣今こそは廓清の血に躍るかな

The Miluo River that feeds into Dongting Lake is where Qu Yuan famously drowned himself in protest.
“Soil and Grain” is an ancient literary Chinese term for the nation and its land. Its use here equips the piece with strong sense of gravity.
The Sino-Japanese term 丈夫, used here and in the fifth stanza, means something like “a masculine character.”
The Japanese kanji here means “opportunity” but its specified phonetic reading means “time.”
“Sorrow at Parting” (Li Sao) is one of Qu Yuan’s most famous works. Here, the poet despairs that he has been plotted against by evil factions at court with his resulting rejection by his lord and then recounts a series of shamanistic spirit journeys to various mythological realms.

References

James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 414 ISBN 0-393-04156-5
James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 415 ISBN 0-393-04156-5
Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army p 188 ISBN 0-394-56935-0
Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army p 193 ISBN 0-394-56935-0
"青年日本の歌（昭和維新の歌）". gunka.sakura.ne.jp. Retrieved 2017-06-02.

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[6] The Miluo River that feeds into Dongting Lake is where Qu Yuan famously drowned himself in protest.

[7] “Soil and Grain” is an ancient literary Chinese term for the nation and its land. Its use here equips the piece with strong sense of gravity.

[8] The Sino-Japanese term 丈夫, used here and in the fifth stanza, means something like “a masculine character.”

[9] The Japanese kanji here means “opportunity” but its specified phonetic reading means “time.”

[10] “Sorrow at Parting” (Li Sao) is one of Qu Yuan’s most famous works. Here, the poet despairs that he has been plotted against by evil factions at court with his resulting rejection by his lord and then recounts a series of shamanistic spirit journeys to various mythological realms.

[1] James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 414 ISBN 0-393-04156-5

[2] James L. McClain, Japan: A Modern History p 415 ISBN 0-393-04156-5

[3] Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army p 188 ISBN 0-394-56935-0

[4] Meirion and Susie Harries, Soldiers of the Sun: The Rise and Fall of the Imperial Japanese Army p 193 ISBN 0-394-56935-0

[5] "青年日本の歌（昭和維新の歌）". gunka.sakura.ne.jp. Retrieved 2017-06-02.