The word literally means ten thousand years,  and it has long been used in Japan to indicate joy or a wish for long life. Japanese World War II troops typically yelled it in celebration, but they were also known to scream, Tenno Heika Banzai,  which roughly translated as long live the Emperor,  while storming into ...

August 15, 2024: At a memorial ceremony to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of World War II and the war dead, Emperor Naruhito expressed "deep remorse" over Japan's wartime past and he stated "I earnestly hope that the ravages of war will never again be repeated".