Kimigayo (The Emperor's Reign), became Japan's national anthem in 1888.
The music is by Hiromori Hayashi, an Imperial Court musician and
the lyrics are a 10th-century tanka verse by Ki no Tsurayuki.

Listen to Japan's national anthem.

English translation of the lyrics:

May the reign of the Emperor
continue for a thousand, nay, eight thousand generations
and for the eternity that it takes
for small pebbles to grow into a great rock
and become covered with moss.

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