In this first general study of the Japanese imperial institution throughout its history, Peter Martin brings together inaccessible material, much of it available only in Japanese. He surveys the history and political and religious status of the monarchy of Japan from its mythological origins to our own times.

The Chrysanthemum Throne tells a fascinating story of the ebb and flow of the fortunes of the Japanese imperial dynasty, often mere puppets manipulated by the real wielders of power - the feudal warlords and later the shoguns. In the Heian period (794-1185) the imperial court at Kyoto was the centre for a remarkable flowering of cultural activity, with the emperors as patrons of the arts.

Thereafter, the imperial court went into decline, but saw a remarkable renaissance after the reopening of Japan in the nineteenth century. Peter Martin throws new light on the role played by the throne since the Meiji restoration in 1868 and Japan's subsequent emergence as one of the two leading economic powers in the world today.