National polity ideology - kokutaishisou

Japanese: 国体思想 - こくたいしそう

It refers to an ideology that advocates the legitimacy of the Emperor's rule or the superiority of the Japanese nation. When the term "kokutai" is used in political science and legal studies, it is used to distinguish nations according to the ownership of sovereignty, and is usually distinguished between monarchical and republican. However, in Japan, it is used specifically to express the superior national character of a nation ruled by an unbroken line of Emperors, and has been used as a concept with extremely diverse meanings, such as (1) the eternal and immortal sovereignty of the Emperor, (2) the special relationship of friendship between the Emperor and his subjects, and (3) the national culture in general.

Source: Heibonsha World Encyclopedia, 2nd Edition Information

Japanese:

天皇統治の正当性または日本国の優秀性を唱える思想をいう。〈国体〉の語は，政治学･法律学上その概念を使用する場合には主権の帰属いかんによって国家を区別する場合に用いられ，通常，君主国体と共和国体に区別される。しかし日本では特殊に，万世一系の天皇によって統治される優秀な国柄を表す概念として用いられ，(1)永久不滅の天皇主権を指す場合，(2)君臣の特別の情誼関係を指す場合，(3)国風文化全般を指す場合等，きわめて多義的な内容の概念として使用された。

出典　株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典第２版について　情報

<<: Ishidaino

>>: Kokutaiji Temple