ABSTRACT
Most of the commonly accepted translations of Japanese terms and titles into English were established during and since the Meiji Restoration in the middle of the 19th century. When Japan decided to end its strict 250-year isolation, and dramatically accelerated its importation of Western culture, it was natural that some important terms were not properly translated. Although the Japanese term 'kami ' is usually translated as 'God' or 'gods', this is an inaccurate translation. The development of the concept of kami was quite different from the development of the Western concept of God. The concept of Tenno is thus an extension of the concept of 'kami'. Thus, if Kotei is the proper equivalent for the term Emperor, then some other term must be found for Tenno. The literal translation 'Divine Emperor' is not appropriate because the word 'divine' itself cannot convey the actual concept of 'kami'.
