Emperor Meiji
| Emperor Meiji 明治天皇 |
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| Reign | 3 February 1867 – 30 July 1912 (&0000000000000045.00000045 years, &0000000000000178.000000178 days) |
| Predecessor | Emperor Kōmei |
| Successor | Emperor Taishō |
| Prime Ministers | |
| Spouse | Ichijō Masako |
| Issue | |
| Prince Tōgu, later Emperor Taishō Princess Masako Princess Fusako Princess Nobuko Princess Toshiko |
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| Full name | |
| Mutsuhito (睦仁?) | |
| House | House of Yamato |
| Father | Emperor Kōmei |
| Mother | Nakayama Yoshiko |
| Born | 3 November 1852(1852-11-03) Kyoto, Japan |
| Died | 30 July 1912 (aged 59) Tokyo, Japan |
| Burial | 13 September 1912 Fushimi Momoyama no Misasagi (伏見桃山陵), Kyoto |
The Meiji Emperor (明治天皇, Meiji-tennō?) (3 November 1852 - 30 July 1912) or Meiji the Great was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 3 February 1867 until his death.
Like all his predecessors, since his death he has been referred to by a posthumous name. Upon his death a new tradition of giving the late emperor the name of the era coinciding with his reign was established. Having ruled during the Meiji era (Enlightened rule), he is now known as Emperor Meiji.
His personal name was Mutsuhito (睦仁?), and although outside of Japan he is sometimes called by this name or Emperor Mutsuhito, in Japan emperors are referred to only by their posthumous names. Use of an emperor's personal name would be considered too familiar, or even blasphemous.
At the time of his birth in 1852, Japan was an isolated, pre-industrial, 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 (See Meiji Restoration) and emerged as one of the great powers on the world stage.
A detailed account of the State Funeral in the New York Times concluded with an observation: "The contrast between that which preceded the funeral car and that which followed it was striking indeed. Before it went old Japan; after it came new Japan."[1]
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Background
The Tokugawa Shogunate had been established in the early 17th century.[2] Under its rule, the shogun governed Japan. About 180 lords, known as daimyo, ruled autonomous realms under the shogun, who occasionally called upon the daimyo for gifts, but did not tax them. The daimyo were controlled by the shogun in other ways; only the shogun could approve their marriages, and the shogun could divest a daimyo of his lands.[3]
In 1615, the first Tokugawa shogun, Tokugawa Ieyasu, who had officially retired from his position, and his son Tokugawa Hidetada, the titular shogun, issued a code of behavior for the nobility. Under it, the emperor was required to devote his time to scholarship and the arts.[4] The emperors under the shoganate appear to have closely adhered to this code, studying Confucian classics and devoting time to poetry and calligraphy.[5] They were only taught the rudiments of Japanese and Chinese history and geography.[5] The shogun did not seek the consent or advice of the emperor for his actions.[6]
Emperors almost never left their palace compound, or Gosho in Kyoto, except after an emperor retired or to take shelter in a temple if the palace caught on fire.[7] Few emperors lived long enough to retire; of the Emperor Meiji's five predecessors, only his grandfather lived into his forties, and died aged forty-six.[6] The imperial family suffered very high rates of infant mortality; all five of the emperor's brothers and sisters died as infants, and only five of fifteen of his own children would reach adulthood.[6]
Soon after taking control, shoganate officials (known generically as bakufu) ended much Western trade with Japan, and barred missionaries from the islands. Only the Dutch continued trade with Japan, maintaining a post on the island of Dejima by Nagasaki.[8] However, by the early 19th century, European and American vessels appeared in the waters around Japan with increasing frequency.[9]
Boyhood
The child who would, after his death, become known as the Emperor Meiji was born on November 3, 1852 in a small house on his maternal grandfather's property at the north end of the Gosho. At the time, a birth was believed to be polluting, and so imperial princes were not born in the Palace, but usually in a structure, often temporary, near the pregnant woman's father's house. The boy's mother, Nakayama Yoshiko was a concubine (gon no tenji) to the Emperor Kōmei and the daughter of the acting major counselor, Nakayama Tadayasu.[10] The young prince was given the name Sachinomiya, or Prince Sachi.[11]
The young prince was born at a time of change for Japan. This change was symbolized dramatically when Commodore Matthew Perry and his squadron of what were dubbed "the Black Ships" by the Japanese, sailed into the harbor at Edo (today known as Tokyo) in July 1853. Perry sought to open Japan to trade, and warned the Japanese of military consequences if they did not agree.[12] During the crisis brought on by Perry's arrival, the bakufu took the highly unusual step of consulting with the Imperial Court, and the Emperor Kōmei's officials advised that they felt the Americans should be allowed to trade and asked that they be informed in advance of any steps to be taken upon Perry's return. This request was initially honored by the bakufu, and for the first time in at least 250 years, they consulted with the Imperial Court before making a decision.[13] Feeling that they could not win a war, Japan allowed trade and submitted to what it dubbed the "Unequal Treaties", giving up tariff authority and the right to try foreigners in its own courts.[12] The bakafu willingness to consult with the Court was short-lived: In 1858, word of a treaty arrived with a letter stating that due to shortness of time, it had not been possible to consult. The Emperor Kōmei was so incensed that he threatened to abdicate—though even this action would have required the consent of the Shogun.[14]
Much of the Emperor Meiji's boyhood is known only through later accounts, which his biographer, Donald Keene points out are often contradictory. One contemporary described the young prince as healthy and strong, somewhat of a bully and exceptionally talented at sumo. Another states that the prince was delicate and often ill. Some biographers state that he fainted when he first heard gunfire, while others deny this account.[15] On August 16, 1860, Sachinomiya was proclaimed as the crown prince, and was formally adopted by his father's consort. Later that year, he was given an adult name, Mutsuhito.[16] The prince began his education at the age of nine. He was an indifferent student, and, later in life, wrote poems regretting that he had not applied himself more in writing practice.[17]
Unrest and accession
By the early 1860s, the shogunate was under several threats. Representatives of foreign powers sought to increase their influence in Japan. Many daimyo were increasingly dissatisfied with bukufu handling of foreign affairs. Large numbers of young samurai, known as shishi or "men of high purpose" began to meet and speak against the shogunate. The shishi revered the Emperor Kōmei and favored direct violent action to cure societal ills. While they initially desired the death or expulsion of all foreigners, the shishi would later more pragmatic, and begin to advocate the modernization of the country.[18] The bakufu enacted several measures to appease the various groups, and hoped to drive a wedge between the shishi and daimyo.[19]
Kyoto was a major center for the shishi, who had influence over the Emperor Kōmei. In 1863, they persuaded him to issue an "Order to expel barbarians". The Order placed the shogunate in a difficult position, since it knew it lacked the power to do so. Several attacks were made on foreigners or their ships, and foreign forces retaliated. Bakufu forces were able to drive most of the shishi out of Kyoto, and an attempt by them to return in 1864 was driven back. Neverless, unrest continued throughout Japan.[19]
The prince's awareness of the political turmoil is uncertain.[20] During this time, he studied tanka poetry, first with his father, then with the court poets.[21]
Crown Prince Mutsuhito acceded to the throne on 3 February 1867 at the age of fourteen. In the ninth month of the following year, the era was changed to Meiji, or “enlightened rule”, which was later used for the emperor's posthumous name. This marked the beginning of the custom of an era coinciding with an emperor's reign, and posthumously naming the emperor after the era during which he ruled.
On 11 January 1869, the Meiji emperor married Masako (later renamed Haruko) (9 May 1849–19 April 1914), the third daughter of Lord Ichijō Tadaka, sometime minister of the left (sadaijin). Known posthumously as Empress Shōken, she was the first Imperial Consort to receive the title of kōgō (literally, the Emperor's wife, translated as Empress Consort), in several hundred years. Although she was the first Japanese Empress Consort to play a public role, she bore no children. However, the Meiji emperor 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 daughter of Count Sono Motosachi, lived to adulthood. They were:
- Crown Prince Yoshihito (Haru no miya Yoshihito Shinnō), 3rd son, (31 August 1879–25 December 1926) (see Emperor Taishō).
- Princess Masako (Tsune-no-miya Masako Naishinnō), 6th daughter, (30 September 1888–8 March 1940), titled Tsune-no-miya (Princess Tsune) until marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo, 30 April 1908 to Prince Takeda Tsunehisa (Takeda-no-miya Tsunehisa ō, 22 September 1882–23 April 1919), and had issue (offspring).
- Princess Fusako (Kane-no-miya Fusako Naishinnō), 7th daughter, (28 January 1890–11 August 1974), titled Kane-no-miya (Princess Kane) until marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo 29 April 1909 to Prince Kitashirakawa Naruhisa (Kitashirakawa-no-miya Naruhisa ō, 1 April 1887–2 April 1923), and had issue.
- Princess Nobuko (Fumi-no-miya Nobuko Naishinnō), 8th daughter, (7 August 1891–3 November 1933); titled Fumi-no-miya (Princess Fumi) until marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo 6 May 1909 to Prince Asaka Yasuhiko (Asaka-no-miya Yasuhiko ō, 2 October 1887–13 April 1981), and had issue.
- Princess Toshiko (Yasu-no-miya Toshiko Naishinnō), 9th daughter, (11 May 1896–5 March 1978); titled Yasu-no-miya (Princess Yasu) until marriage; m. at Imperial Palace, Tokyo 18 May 1915 to Prince Higashikuni Naruhiko (Higashikuni-no-miya Naruhiko ô, 3 December 1887–20 January 1990), and had issue.
Meiji Restoration
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The Meiji emperor was the symbolic leader of the Meiji Restoration, in which the Tokugawa shogunate was abolished by Imperial forces following the Boshin War. 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 the emperor. Power had passed from the Tokugawa into the hands of those Daimyo and other samurai who had led the Restoration. Japan was thus controlled by the Genro, an oligarchy, which comprised the most powerful men of the military, political, and economic spheres. The emperor, if nothing else, showed greater political longevity than his recent predecessors, as he was the first Japanese monarch to remain on the throne past the age of 50 since the abdication of Emperor Ōgimachi in 1586.
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. Yet, the Meiji emperor'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 Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895) or the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905). One of the few windows we have into the Emperor's own feelings is his poetry, which seems to indicate a pacifist streak, or at least a man who wished war could be avoided. He composed the following pacifist poem or tanka:
- よもの海
- みなはらからと思ふ世に
- など波風のたちさわぐらむ
- Yomo no umi
- mina harakara to omofu yo ni
- nado namikaze no tachi sawaguramu
- (literal translation)
- Whilst the oceans in all directions,
- I believe, are all my friends,
- I only wonder why they should be any rough.
- (free translation)
- Believing that the peoples in the world
- being all my friends,
- we should not conflict each other.
Near the end of his life several anarchists, including Kotoku Shusui, were executed on charges of having conspired to murder the sovereign. This conspiracy was known as the High Treason Incident.
Timeline of Events during the Life and Reign of the Meiji Emperor
The Meiji era ushered in many far-reaching changes to the ancient feudal society of Japan. Presented here is a timeline of those major events:
- 3 November 1852: the Meiji emperor (then known as Sachinomiya) is born to the imperial concubine Nakayama Yoshiko and Emperor Komei
- 1853: A fleet of ships headed by Commodore Matthew Perry arrives in Japan on 8 July; considered the "Opening" of Japan. Death of the Shogun.
- late 1850s–1860s: The "sonnō-jōi" movement is in full force.
- 1858: Treaties are signed with the Netherlands, Imperial Russia, and Great Britain by the Bakufu.
- March 1860: The Tairo, Ii Naosuke, is assassinated.
- 11 November: Sachinomiya is formally proclaimed Crown Prince and given the personal name Mutsuhito.
- 1862: Namamugi Incident
- 1864–65: Bombardment of Shimonoseki by British, American, French, and Dutch ships; fighting ensues between the shogunate and Chōshū.
- 1866: Death of the Shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi on 29 August; appointment of Tokugawa Yoshinobu as Shogun.
- 31 January 1867: Death of Emperor Komei from hemorrhagic smallpox, unofficial accession of Mutsuhito to the throne.
- 4 January 1868: Formal restoration of imperial rule; end of 265 years of rule by the Tokugawa Shogunate
- 12 September: Formal coronation of the emperor Meiji.
- 23 October: The nengo is changed to the first year of Meiji.
- 5 November 1872: Emperor Meiji Receives The Grand Duke Alexei Alexandrovich of Russia
- late 1860s–1881: Period of rebellion and assassination in Japan.
- 11 January 1869: Marriage of Meiji to Ichijo Haruko, thenceforth the Empress Shoken.
- 4 September: Meiji receives The Duke of Edinburgh.
- 1871: The abolition of the han domains is proclaimed.
- 1873: Edo castle is destroyed in a conflagration; the emperor moves to the Akasaka Palace. Meiji's first children are born, but die at birth.
- 1877: The Satsuma Rebellion
- 1878: Assassination of Okubo Toshimichi.
- 31 August 1879: Prince Yoshihito, the future Taisho Tenno and Meiji's only surviving son, is born.
- 1889: Meiji Constitution promulgated; Ito Hirobumi becomes first Prime Minister of Japan.
- 1894: Sino-Japanese War, a Japanese victory which establishes Japan as a regional power.
- 1904-1905: Russo-Japanese War, a Japanese victory which establishes Japan a status of a great power.
- 1912: The emperor dies.[1]
Personal information
- Father
- Mother
- Nakayama Yoshiko, a concubine of Emperor Komei,
- Wife
- Ichijo Masako, the Empress Shōken, also known as "Haruko"
- Concubines
- Lady Mitsuko (1853-1873), not much is known about Lady Mitsuko, however she gave birth to the Emperor's first son. She died in childbirth.
- Lady Natsuko (1856–1873), not much is known about Lady Natsuko, however she gave birth to the Emperor's first daughter and also died in childbirth.
- Yanagiwara Naruko (1855–1943)
- Chigusa Kotoko (1855–1944)
- Sono Sachiko (1867–1947)
- Children
- A prince, born on 18 September 1873, but died on the same day, whose mother was Lady Mitsuko
- A princess, born on 13 November 1873, but died on the same day, whose mother was Lady Natsuko
- Shigeko, (25 January 1875–8 June 1876) the Princess Ume, whose mother was Lady Naruko
- Yukihito, (23 September 1877–26 July 1878) the Prince Take, whose mother was Lady Naruko
- Yoshihito, the Emperor Taishō
- Akiko, (3 August 1881–6 September 1883) the Princess Shige, whose mother was Lady Kotoko
- Fumiko, (26 January 1883–8 September 1883) the Princess Masu, whose mother was Lady Kotoko
- Shizuko, (10 February 1886–4 April 1887) the Princess Hisa, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Michihito, (1887–1888) the Prince Aki, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Masako, (30 September 1888–8 March 1940) the Princess Tsune, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Fusako, (28 January 1890–11 August 1974) the Princess Kane, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Nobuko, (7 August 1891–3 November 1933) the Princess Fumi, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Teruhito, (1893–1894) the Prince Mitsu, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Toshiko, (11 May 1896–5 March 1978) the Princess Yasu, whose mother was Lady Sachiko
- Takiko, (1897–1899) the Princess Sada whose mother was Lady Sachiko
Notes
- ^ a b "The Funeral Ceremonies of Meiji Tenno" reprinted from the Japan Advertiser [Article 8--No Title], New York Times. 13 October 1912.
- ^ Jansen 1995, p. vii.
- ^ Gordon 2009, pp. 14–15.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 3.
- ^ a b Gordon 2009, pp. 3–4.
- ^ a b c Gordon 2009, p. 2.
- ^ Gordon 2009, pp. 4–5.
- ^ Gordon 2009, p. 19.
- ^ Gordon 2009, p. 47.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 10.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 14.
- ^ a b Gordon 2009, pp. 50–51.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 18.
- ^ Keene 2002, pp. 39–41.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. xii.
- ^ Keene 2002, pp. 51–52.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 48.
- ^ Gordon 2009, pp. 53–55.
- ^ a b Gordon 2009, pp. 55–56.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 73.
- ^ Keene 2002, p. 78.
- ^ "The Mikado's Garter," New York Times. 28 July 1906.
References
- Gordon, Andrew (2009), A Modern History of Japan (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, ISBN 978-0-19-533922-2
- Jansen, Marius (1995), The Emergence of Meiji Japan, Cambridge University Press, ISBN 978-0-521-48405-3
- Keene, Donald (2002), Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912, Columbia University Press, ISBN 023112340X
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Emperor Meiji |
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Emperor Meiji
Born: 3 November 1852 Died: 30 July 1912 |
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| Regnal titles | ||
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| Preceded by Emperor Kōmei |
Emperor of Japan 3 February 1867 – 30 July 1912 |
Succeeded by Emperor Taishō |
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