Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Emperor's Birthday in Japan
Emperor's Birthday in Japan
Reading Comprehension for December 23
For much of Japan's history, a man known as an emperor ruled Japan. According to Japanese stories, the first emperor was crowned in 660 BC. This emperor's name was Jimmu. According to the Japanese story about Jimmu, he was related to the sun goddess Amaterasu. Until 1946, an emperor was always in charge in Japan.
The emperor lived in an imperial palace. The imperial palace is a very special place. For many years, the palace was located in Kyoto. Kyoto was the capital of Japan until 1868. It was then that the capital, and the emperor and his palace, were moved to Tokyo.
The imperial palace is special for the emperor and his family. No one is allowed to visit except on two days: January 2 and December 23. January 2 is a part of Japan's New Year celebrations. December 23 is a national holiday called Tenno Tanjobi, the emperor's birthday. On December 23, 1933, Japan's Emperor Akihito was born. On this date each year, people can come inside the palace and hear the emperor speak.
