Since 1868, Japan has celebrated the Emperor’s birthday as a national holiday first on November 3, next on April 29, then on December 23 and now on February 23. In honor of Emperor Naruhito’s 65 birthday, what better time to look at some vocabulary related to ‘emperor’.
Emperor: the male ruler of an empire
Japan is currently the only country with an emperor. He has no role in the government but serves as a symbol of the country performing ceremonial and social duties.
Empress: the female ruler of an empire or the wife of the emperor
Did you know that Empress Masako went to high school in the U.S. and was on the softball team?
Empire: often a large area ruled by a single person
It is believed that the British Empire was the largest empire in history covering almost a quarter of the globe.
Imperial: relating to emperor, empress and empire
The Imperial Hotel near the Imperial Palace in Tokyo was the first place to offer a western style buffet which was named the Imperial Viking in honor of the Scandinavian buffet called smorgasbord.
Emperor penguin: the largest penguin species
Antarctica is home to over half a million emperor penguins.
Now Emperor’s birthday can be more than just a holiday. It is an opportunity to increase your English vocabulary. Erik.