Kimi ga Yo
The national anthem of Japan is called Kimi ga Yo, "The Emperor's Reign." The words and their translation are:
| Kimi ga yo wa, Chiyo ni, Hachiyo ni, Sazare ishi no, Iwao to narite, Koke no musu made. | May the Emperor's reign, Continue for a thousand, Eight thousand generations; Until the pebbles, Grow into boulders, Lush with moss. |
You can listen to the tune here. (midi file)
The words are actually from a waka style poem from Japan's Heian Period, about one thousand years ago. It was an Englishman, J. W. Fenton, that urged Japan to adopt a national anthem, and he wrote the original music for it in 1869. Imperial musicians later revised it into its present form.
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