Yamato: The Japanese Imperial House

Yamato is one of the oldest and longest-lasting dynasties in the world. Its members are considered descendants of the goddess Amaterasu. The history of the great house began in the 6th century BCE and continues to this day. During the reign of the house, more than a hundred emperors sat on the throne and six eras passed, and the monarch itself became a symbol of patriotism, national unity, and progress. But is the dynasty truly of divine origin? Why did women stop sitting on the Chrysanthemum Throne? Who introduced the ban on renouncing the throne? Who brought monogamy to the imperial court? What did Emperor Komei and the head of the Japanese government, Ii Naosuke, not share? In whose hands was real power during World War II? The story of Japanese society, its thousand-year culture and traditions—traditions that influenced not only the country, but the whole planet.