Which of the following countries is regarded as having the oldest national anthem based on the age of its lyrics?

Introduction / Context:
National anthems are patriotic songs officially adopted by countries as symbols of national identity. Some exam questions focus on historical facts about which anthem or lyrics are the oldest. This question asks about the country whose national anthem is considered the oldest based on the age of the text used for its lyrics.

Given Data / Assumptions:

- The question refers to the age of the national anthem, especially the age of its lyrics.- Four options are provided: India, Denmark, Japan, and China.- We assume a standard general knowledge convention used in competitive exams.

Concept / Approach:
In many general knowledge references, the Japanese national anthem “Kimigayo” is often credited with having the oldest lyrics. The poem that forms its text dates back to the Heian period, which is an early historical era in Japan. While some other anthems may have long histories, exam sources commonly highlight Japan because of this very old poetic origin. Therefore, we base our answer on this widely accepted conventional fact.

Step-by-Step Solution:
1. Recall that “Kimigayo” is the national anthem of Japan and that its lyrics come from an ancient Japanese poem.2. Recognize that India, Denmark, and China have important and historic anthems, but their lyrics were composed much later than the early medieval period.3. Many general awareness question banks specifically state that Japan has the oldest national anthem lyrics among the commonly listed options.4. Compare each option with this standard exam fact and confirm which one matches.5. Conclude that Japan is the country associated with the oldest anthem lyrics among the given choices.

Verification / Alternative check:
You can cross check through general knowledge study materials where questions like “Which country has the oldest national anthem” often have Japan as the answer with an explanation that the words of “Kimigayo” come from a poem dating back nearly a thousand years or more. While anthem adoption dates and musical composition dates may be newer, the age of the lyrics is the key factor, and in that category Japan stands out among these four nations.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
- India: The Indian national anthem “Jana Gana Mana” was composed in the early twentieth century, which is much later than the Heian period poem used in “Kimigayo.”- Denmark: Denmark has a very old royal and national song tradition, but in standard exam references it is not the one usually named for the oldest anthem lyrics among these options.- China: The Chinese national anthem “March of the Volunteers” is from the twentieth century and is therefore significantly younger than the Japanese anthem text.

Common Pitfalls:
Students sometimes confuse the oldest anthem lyrics with the oldest officially adopted anthem, or they consider only European countries when thinking of old national songs. Another common mistake is to assume that India or China must have the oldest of everything because of their ancient civilizations, but the modern national anthem traditions developed later. Understanding that this question is about the age of the lyrics and not about general civilizational age helps avoid errors.

Final Answer:
The correct option is Japan, because its national anthem “Kimigayo” uses lyrics derived from an ancient poem that is considered the oldest among the options given.