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Высочайшие выезды Хирохито: изменение образа японского правителя в ХХ в. (на примере функции движения)
Through many centuries tenno, or the emperors of Japan, while being nominally the higher rulers of the country, were in fact deprived from the function of move-ment in their image, and such means of representation of their power, as tours around the country or voyages abroad, were absent from their governing instru-ments. From the beginning of Meiji period, the image of the sovereign had un-dergone many changes, partially due to the western influence and foreign views on the role and the functions of the ruler. The attempt to make tenno more like a public figure made by the Japanese elites led to the necessity of conducting imperial trips around the country, so the ruler could face life conditions of his sub-jects. Emperor Meiji was the first tenno to take such a journey. Other imperial ancestors, including crown princes, had also become more mobile from that time on. The case of Hirohito’s voyages as a crown prince and then as the emperor is one of the great interests as it enlightens the view of the imperial power and its functions through different stages of its evolution in the 20th century. This paper describes four major historical trips by Hirohito and analyzes their symbolical and political significance. © The Authors.