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Mutsuhito, the Meiji Emperor (3 November 1852-30 July 1912) was the 122nd
Emperor of Japan. At the time of his birth in 1852, Japan was an isolated,
preindustrial, feudal country dominated by the Tokugawa Shogunate and the
Daimyo, who ruled over the country's more than 250 decentralized domains. By
the time of his death in 1912, Japan had undergone a political, social, and
industrial revolution at home and emerged as one of the great powers on the
world stage.
The Emperor Meiji was the surviving son of the Emperor Komei by the
lady-in-waiting Nakayama Yoshiko (1834-1907), the daughter of Lord Nakayama
Tadayasu, sometime minister of the left (sadaijin) and a scion of the
Fujiwara. He was born eight months before the arrival of Commodore Matthew
Perry and the U.S. squadron of "black ships" in Edo Bay and two years before
the first of the so-called unequal treaties which the Tokugawa shogunate
signed with Perry. Originally titled Sachi no miya (Prince Sachi), the
future emperor spent most of childhood at the Nakayama household in Kyoto,
as it was customary to entrust the upbring of imperial children to prominent
court families. He was formally adopted by Asako Nyogo (later Empress
Dowager Eisho), the principal consort of Emperor Komei, on 11 July 1860. He
also received the personal name Musuhito, the rank of shinno (imperial
prince, and thus a potential successor to the throne) and the title of
Kotashi (crown prince) on the same day. Crown Prince Mutsuhito ascended to
the throne on 3 February 1867 at the age of fifteen, taking the title of
Meiji, or enlightened ruler.
On 11 January 1867, the Emperor Meiji married Lady Haruko (28 May 1849-19
April 1914, the third daughter of Lord Ichijo Tadaka, sometime minister of
the left (sadaijin)). Known posthumously as Empress Shoken, she was the
first imperial consort to receive the title of kogo (literally, the
emperor's wife, translated as empress consort), in several hundred years.
Although she was the first Japanese empress to play a public role, she bore
no children. Emperor Meiji had fifteen children by five official
ladies-in-waiting. Only five of his children, a prince born to Lady Naruko
(1855-1943), the daughter of Yanagiwara Mitsunaru, and four princesses born
to Lady Sachiko (1867-1947), the eldest daugther of Count Sono Motosachi,
lived to adulthood. They were:
- Crown Prince Yoshihito (Haru no miya Yoshihito Shinno), 3rd son, (31
August 1879-25 December 1926) (see Emperor Taisho.
- Princess Masako (Tsune no miya Masako Naishinno), 6th daughter, (30
September 1888-8 March 1940), titled Tsune no miya (Princess Tsune) until
marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo, 30 April 1908 Prince Takeda
Tsunehisa (Takeda no miya Tsunehisa o, 22 September 1882-23 April 1919),
and had issue.
- Princess Fusako (Kane no miya Fusako Naishinno), 7th daughter, (28
January 1890-11 August 1974), titled Kane no miya (Princess Kane) until
marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo 29 April 1909 Prince Kitashirakawa
Naruhisa (Kitashirakawa no miya Naruhisa o, 1 April 1887- 2 April 1923),
and had issue.
- Princess Nobuko (Fami no miya Nobuko Naishinno), 8th daughter, (7
August 1891-3 November 1933); titled Princess Fami (Fami no miya) until
marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo 6 May 1909 Prince Asaka Yasuhiko (Asaka
no miya Yasuhiko o, 2 October 1887-13 April 1981), and had issue.
- Princess Toshiko (Yasu no miya Toshiko Naishinno), 9th daughter, (11
May 1896-5 March 1978); titled Yasu no miya (Princess Yasu) until
marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo 18 May 1915 Prince Higashikuni
Naruhiko (Higashikuni no miya Naruhiko o, 3 December 1887-20 January
1990), and had issue.
The Meiji Emperor was the symbolic leader of the Meiji Restoration, in
which the Tokugawas were deposed by Imperial forces. The Charter Oath, a
five-point statement of the nature of the new government abolished feudalism
and proclaimed a modern democratic government for Japan. Although a
parliament was formed, it had no real power, and neither did Meiji. Power
had passed from the Tokugawa into the hands of the Daimyo who had led the
Restoration. Japan was thus controlled by an oligarchy, which comprised the
most powerful men of the military, political, and economic spheres.
The Meiji Restoration is a source of pride for the Japanese, as it and
the accompanying industrialization allowed Japan to become the preeminent
power in the Pacific and a major player in the world within a generation. On
the other hand, it is a source of shame, as it was the beginning of Japan's
imperialism in the Pacific and prepared the nation to join the Berlin-Rome
Axis in the thirties.
Meiji's role in the Restoration is debatable. He certainly did not
control Japan, but how much influence he wielded is unknown. It is unlikely
it will ever be clear whether he supported the wars against China
(1894-1895) and Russia (1904-1905). One of the few windows we have into
Meiji's own feelings is his poetry, which seem to indicate a pacifist
streak, or at least a man that wished war could be avoided.
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