<div style="margin: 12px 0px; font-family: arial; color: #333333; background: #ffffff; border: solid 4px #e5e5e5; width: 100%; clear: left;"><div class="CM_CTB_Content_Wrap" style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;background-color: #ffffff;"><div style="border-bottom: solid 1px #dcdcdc; white-space: nowrap; margin-bottom: 8px; background-color: #eeeeee ;background-image: url(http://clipmarks.com/images/source-bg.gif); background-repeat: repeat-x; height: 24px; line-height: 24px; vertical-align: middle; padding-bottom: 4px; color: #666666; font-size: 10px;" ><a href="http://clipmarks.com/clip-to-blog/" title="see clips that are hot right now"><img src="http://content.clipmarks.com/blog_embed/08ea83a2-dee8-4f53-be57-6083292f31ab/11C41935-0BD8-4106-B064-1531E33CF326/" alt="" width="19" height="19" border="0" style="vertical-align: middle; margin: 0px 4px; display: inline; border: none; float:none;" /></a>clipped from <a title="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_House_of_Japan&oldid=270010802" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_House_of_Japan&oldid=270010802" style="font-size: 11px;">en.wikipedia.org</a></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_House_of_Japan&oldid=270010802"><P>The <B>Imperial House of Japan</B> <SPAN>(<SPAN class="t_nihongo_kanji"><SPAN lang="ja" xml:lang="ja">皇室</SPAN></SPAN><SPAN class="t_nihongo_comma">,</SPAN> <I><SPAN class="t_nihongo_romaji">kōshitsu</SPAN></I><SPAN class="t_nihongo_help"><SUP><A title="Help:Japanese" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Help:Japanese"><SPAN class="t_nihongo_icon">?</SPAN></A></SUP></SPAN>)</SPAN>, also referred to as the <B>Imperial Family</B>, the <B>Yamato Dynasty</B>, or the <B><A title="Chrysanthemum Throne" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chrysanthemum_Throne">Chrysanthemum Throne</A></B>, comprises those members of the extended family of the reigning <A title="Emperor of Japan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_of_Japan">Emperor of Japan</A> who undertake official and public duties. Under the present <A title="Constitution of Japan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Japan">Constitution of Japan</A>, the <A title="Emperor" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor">emperor</A> is the symbol of the state and unity of the people. Although he is not technically <A title="Head of state" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Head_of_state">head of state</A>, he is frequently treated as one. Other members of the imperial family perform ceremonial and social duties, but have no role in the affairs of government. The duties as an emperor are passed down the line to children and their children's children and so on.</P></blockquote><div style="height: 2px; font-size: 2px; background: #dcdcdc; border-bottom: solid 1px #f5f5f5; margin: 2px 4px;"></div><blockquote style="text-align: left; padding: 0px 8px; margin: 4px 0px 8px 0px; background: transparent; border: none;" cite="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Imperial_House_of_Japan&oldid=270010802"><P>The <A title="Japan" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japan">Japanese</A> <A title="Monarchy" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarchy">monarchy</A> is the oldest continuous hereditary monarchy in the world still in existence. The imperial house recognizes 125 legitimate <A class="mw-redirect" title="Monarch" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monarch">monarchs</A> since the accession of <A title="Emperor Jimmu" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emperor_Jimmu">Emperor Jimmu</A> (traditionally dated to <A title="February 11" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/February_11">February 11</A>, 660 BC), including the reigning emperor, <A title="Akihito" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akihito">Akihito</A>; see its <A title="Japanese Emperors family tree" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Japanese_Emperors_family_tree">family tree</A>.</P></blockquote></div><div style="margin: 0px 6px 6px 4px;"><table style="font-size: 11px;border-spacing: 0px;padding: 0px;" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tr><td style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;">&nbsp;</td><td align="right" style="background:transparent;border-width:0px;padding:0px;width:107px" width="107"><a href="http://clipmarks.com/share/11C41935-0BD8-4106-B064-1531E33CF326/blog/" title="blog or email this clip"><img src="http://content9.clipmarks.com/images/c2b-foot.png" border="0" alt="blog it" width="107" height="17" style="border-width:0px;padding:0px;margin:0px;" /></a></td></tr></table></div></div>

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