Episode 55: Kenkoku Kinen no Hi (National Foundation Day)

The United States and Mexico have Independence Day, France has Bastille Day, Germany has Unity Day, and both Russia and Australia have a Day. All of these days, in common, celebrate a country’s or nation’s birth or reformation.  They mark a time when a group of like-minded citizens decided to declare itself separate and apart from another ruling party or establish a place of their own upon landing. It is a day that reminds its people of where they came from and how they got there, in comparison to their present state. This week, we’ll be celebrating National Foundation Day , when Japan founded itself as as country by its first emperor, Jimmu. According to historical records, Jimmu was said to have descended from the gods and became Japan’s first emperor in 660 B.C. Though there is still some debate on its accuracy, the government, during the Meiji period, officially established the holiday on February 11th, in 1872. Originally called “Emperor Day”, the holiday was meant to promote a sense of national unity and instill pride among its citizens. We’ll be playing tracks from several video games of companies that were established in Japan: capsulated computers, a company founded by three members, and a subsidiary of a tabloid publishing company. Enjoy what may be childhood gems of a time when quarters were the key to starting a game and consoles made you famous in your neighborhood…   National Foundation Day     Track Listing “Main Theme (Arcade)” – [Commando] – composed by Tamayo Kawamoto “Videogame Music Remixes/Commando – Battle Theme” – remixed by luisedgarf “Morning Music” – [Gradius] – composed by Miki Higashino “Tokyo Machine – GRADIUS REMIX” – remixed by Tokyo Machine “Title Theme” – [Dragon Warrior (NES)] – composed by Koichi Sugiyama “Overture Variations” – remixed by trickwaters   YouTube playlist   Source