Emperor Meiji was a Japanese ruler who served as the 122nd Emperor of Japan from 1867 to 1912. He reigned over a period in history that has come to be known as the Meiji period, during which the Empire of Japan witnessed a radical transition from an isolationist, feudal state to an industrialized world power.
Background
Emperor Meiji was born on November 3, 1852 in Kyoto, Japan. His personal name was Mutsuhito. In his childhood he went by the name Sachinomiya. Emperor Meiji was the son of Emperor Kōmei and his favourite lady-in-waiting, Nakayama Yoshiko. His maternal grandfather, Nakayama Tadayasu, took charge of his upbringing.
Education
Not much is known about the Emperor's childhood. As a child he was exposed to the customs and history of the outside world. He was also taught theories of government and sovereignty. He was trained by the scholar of Chinese studies Motoda Eifu. He also took Japanese poetry lessons from Takasaki Masakaze.
Career
Emperor Meiji was named Prince of the Blood and Heir to the Throne on August 16, 1860. On November 11, he was formally made the crown prince and received his adult name, Mutsuhito. He acceded to the throne on February 3, 1867 at the age of 14. However, it is difficult to say whether the young Emperor took part in political decisions. In the country, the shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu, who wanted to transform Japan into a Western-style state, fought for power. There was also a conflict between foreign powers seeking to increase their influence in Japan and the rebels who did not want Western intervention. In 1867, an agreement was reached by which Yoshinobu would maintain his title and some of his power, but the lawmaking power would be vested in a bicameral legislature based on the British model. However, this agreement fell apart and on November 9, 1867, Yoshinobu officially tendered his resignation to the Emperor. Later the rebels took control of the Imperial Palace and on January 4, 1868, the Emperor ceremoniously read out a document before the court proclaiming the restoration of Imperial rule.
In 1868, Emperor Meiji came out of the imperial precincts for the first time since childhood to lead the government forces against the fleeing remnants of the bakufu army. On September 19, 1868, the Emperor declared that the city of Edo would be renamed as Tokyo. Emperor Meiji's formal coronation took place in Kyoto on October 15, 1868. Not long after, he told the Japanese people that the new era, or nengō, would be referred to as Meiji or "enlightened rule." After that, he began to think about how to strengthen the Japanese army and especially the navy. The Emperor also carried out reforms in order to change the political system. During the Sino-Japanese War Emperor Meiji played an active role as commander-in-chief of the armed forces. He moved with the imperial headquarters in Tokyo to the campaign debarkation headquarters in Hiroshima. For eight months, he devoted himself to the business of war, overseeing the naval and military plans for the prosecution of the campaigns to the minutest details. When the war was over, he returned to Tokyo and during the Russo-Japanese War he remained in Tokyo overseeing policy.
The heavy casualties of the Russo-Japanese War triggered sporadic eruptions of a social unrest that was simmering below the surface prior to the war. Mutsuhito and the imperial court became ever more involved in the government's attempts to quell the unrest. He took a direct role through an increase in assistance to the needy and social causes. By the end of the Emperor's rule, several anarchists conspired to kill the Emperor. However, their plan failed and they were executed. The Emperor himself, who suffered from many diseases, died in 1912. Although the official announcement said he died at 00:42 on July 30, 1912, the actual death was at 22:40 on July 29.
Emperor Meiji's coming to power marked the beginning of Meiji Restoration which in turn marked the dissolution of Japanese feudalism and the forging of a new, modern state. In 1868 Emperor Meiji launched the Westernization of Japan by taking the "Charter Oath of Five Principles." In 1871 he officially ordered the abolition of the feudal land system. He also ordered the creation of a new school system and the adoption of the cabinet system of government. A cabinet system was adopted in 1885, the Meiji Constitution was promulgated in 1889 and in 1890 the Japanese Diet was officially opened. As a result the Emperor became the embodiment of the state and as such was raised above politics, returned "above the clouds" as the son of heaven. Emperor Meiji's public appearances were reduced to a bare minimum and his contacts were limited to the state élite. However, the Emperor maintained an active interest in state affairs. He kept abreast of all policy initiatives through a constant reading of cabinet documents and was a voracious reader of national as well as provincial newspapers.
Personality
Emperor Meiji loved poetry. He composed over 100,000 poems in the traditional Japanese style. Later in life he regretted that he had not applied himself more to writing practice. Emperor Meiji also wore Western clothes and ate Western foods.
Physical Characteristics:
Emperor Meiji suffered from diabetes, nephritis, and gastroenteritis. He died of uremia.
Connections
Emperor Meiji married Masako Ichijō on January 11, 1869. She was the first Imperial Consort to be granted the title of kōgō or Empress Consort. The couple did not have any children. Emperor Meiji also had five official ladies-in-waiting, including Hashimoto Natsuko, Hamuro Mitsuko, Yanagihara Naruko, Chigusa Kotoko and Sachiko Sono. His son, Haru-no-Miya Yoshihito, was born to the lady-in-waiting Yanagihara Naruko. Later his other mistress, Sachiko Sono, gave birth to Princess Masako Takeda, Fusako Kitashirakawa, Princess Nobuko Asaka and Toshiko Higashikuni.
Sakamoto Ryoma and the Meiji Restoration
Exploring a tumultuous time in Japanese 19th-century history, when the country began to emerge from self-imposed exile, this study profiles activists such as Sakamoto Ryoma and Nakaoka Shintaro, who played an important role in the development of a unified nation state.
1994
Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912
In this vivid and engrossing biography, readers move with the Emperor through his early, traditional education, join in the formal processions that acquainted the young Emperor with his country and its people, observe his behavior in court, his marriage, and his relationships with various consorts.