On Dec. 23, 2001, Japanese Emperor Akihito, in his personal birthday interview, acknowledged Korean ancestry in the Japanese Imperial bloodline. He stated, "I, on my part, feel a certain kinship with Korea … the mother of Emperor Kammu [who ruled Japan from 781-806] was of the line of King Muryong [who ruled in Korea 501-523] of the Kingdom of Paekche [in Korea]." This declaration undermines the myth of purity of "Japanese blood," which has long served as a foundation of national identity in Japan. Though widely known to be a myth, explicit denial of the purity of Japanese blood by the head of the imperial family, a lasting symbol and keeper of that purity, is the first public articulation of this truth. Ironically, it was the emperor who pointed out that Japan has no clothes.