Japanese Emperors – Emperor Meiji

Japan is a monarchy and consequently it will have a King to represent it, in Japan, known as Emperors.

Japan has had more than hundreds of emperors, however, some Kings are separated by “Periods”. One of the Periods that is widely discussed and cited is the “Edo Period”. The Modern Era currently has 4 Emperors, one of whom is the current Emperor, Emperor Akihito.

Among them is Emperor Meiji. He was the one who took the first great step in his time towards the so-called “Modern Era”. Below we will see the achievements and a little about him!

Posthumous Name

Posthumous can be literally translated as “After death”, being also an honorary name given to emperors, nobles, and in exceptions and in some cultures, this title is also given to officials and others.

In the case of Japan and relating to the Emperors, the posthumous name is given to him according to the name of his reign. In Japanese culture, there is also kaimyo, which is a Buddhist practice with the same purpose, however, it is more used while alive.

But one should not confuse the posthumous name with the era name and temple name. The era name refers to the years in which an Emperor/Governor ruled a country, and his name after the reign is usually remembered with the era name, but always referring to the posthumous.

Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito)

His name is Mutsuhito (睦仁), Emperor Meiji (明治天皇, Meiji Tennō) was one of the crucial Emperors for the beginning of the Modern Era, he is the one who made Japan what it is today!

He lived for 59 years and his reign lasted 35 years, a long reign, so to speak.

Prince Mutsuhito succeeded to the throne at just 14 years old, in 1867, and in the same year he married Masako, later her name will be Haruko. She was very important to Meiji, as she also acted in political matters, something that had not happened for many years. She could not give him heirs, however, he had 15 children with 5 ladies-in-waiting.

And it was during Meiji’s reign that the feudal regime and the shogunate were abolished. Shogunate is the title given by the Emperor to a general to command all the troops.

Another change was the capital of Japan moving from Kyoto to Edo, which is now called Tokyo. There was also the emergence of a new constitution.

One of Meiji’s greatest achievements was making Japan a country known worldwide. During the 19th century, Japan was able to clearly dictate its objectives to other Western powers. The major powers were very interested in Japan, and with this, he was able to grow and become the great power it is today. At that time, Japan was a country in industrial and economic development, also a country devoted to its Emperor!

Meiji Restoration

• It occurred between 1866 and 1868;
• The feudal dictatorship, Tokugawa shogunate, was abolished due to imperial victories in the Boshin war;
• Declaration of the end of feudalism and proclamation of a democratic and modern government for Japan;
• During the Meiji period, it was declared that Japan would act according to international laws;
• The Samurais stopped obeying their lord, daimyō, and then began to obey the Emperor;
• Meiji, despite being the Emperor, had no actual power, however, he was a symbol for the people. And today he is acclaimed as a source of pride for the Japanese for having made Japan what it is today!

Some curiosities about Meiji

• Mutsuhito was crowned at just 14 years of age;
• Like in many other monarchies, Meiji’s education was entrusted to a Noble;
• He received two titles in a single day, that of Imperial Prince and also that of Crown Prince;
• Only 5 of his children reached adulthood, among them, 1 prince and 4 princesses;
• He was one of the Emperors who maintained the longest longevity, this after the abdication of Emperor Ougimachi, having lived more than 50 years;

Of course, this is just a summary of the Emperor and what happened in his era and afterwards. This is a very delicate and lengthy subject that may require even an entire website studying the whole topic. If you want to delve deeper into the subject, be prepared to read a large book or many wiki pages.