Emperor Meiji

**** was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession.  His reign lasted from 1867 until his death in 1912. He was Emperor of the Empire of Japan from 1867 to 1912 and he was the leader of Japan in the First Sino-Japanese War (1894–1895), the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901) and the Russo-Japanese War (1904–1905), being rivals with the Qing dynasty, the Russian Empire and European Powers. He was involved in the Boxer Rebellion to stop Qing Empress Dowager Cixi. Emperor Meiji allied with Russia (led by Nicholas II), Germany (led by Kaiser Wilhelm II), Austria-Hungary (led by Franz Joseph I of Austria), France (led by Félix Faure and Émile Loubet), Britain (led by Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury) and the United States of America (led by William McKinley) to help General Yuan Shikai in the Boxer Rebellion (1899–1901). He was also involved in the Philippine-American War (1899–1902) along with Emperor Wilhelm II before the Russo-Japanese War in 1904. He was Emperor of Japan (1867–1912), Taiwan (1895–1912) and Korea (1910–1912).

## Events of Meiji's life

Meiji's reign was marked by many changes including the move of the Imperial court from Kyoto to Tokyo.

### Timeline 1852-1912

A timeline of major events includes:
- **1852** (_Kaei 5_): A son called Sachinomiya is born to Emperor Kōmei
- **1860** (_Ansei 7_): Sachinomiya becomes official heir and his personal name (_imina_) becomes Mutsuhito.
- **1867** (_Keiō 3_): Kōmei dies and the responsibility of the throne passes to Crown Prince Mutsuhito.
- **1868** (_Meiji 1_): Official beginning of the emperor's reign and Japanese era name becomes the first year of Meiji.
- **1869** (_meiji 2_): Marriage to Ichijo Haruko, who becomes Empress Shoken.
- **1879** (_meiji 12_): Prince Yoshihito (the future Taisho Tenno) is born.

- **1889** (_Meiji 22_): Meiji Constitution is proclaimed
- **1894** (_Meiji 27_): Sino-Japanese War
- **1899-1901**  Boxer Rebellion
- **1904–1905** (_Meiji 37-38_):: Russo-Japanese War
- **1912** (_Meiji 45_): The emperor dies

### After death

He died in Tokyo. 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."

The spirits of Emperor Meiji and his wife are honored at the  in Tokyo.

## Honors

- Order of the Garter, 1906

## Related pages

- Emperor of Japan
- List of emperors of Japan
- Japanese imperial family tree
- Meiji period
- Meiji Seamount

## Further reading

- Jansen, Marius. (1995). _The Emergence of Meiji Japan_. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ; ; OCLC 31515308
- Keene, Donald. (2002). _Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852–1912_. New York: Columbia University Press. ; OCLC 46731178

## Infobox (monarch)

- **name**: Meiji
- **image**: Meiji tenno1.jpg
- **caption**: Emperor Meiji in 1888
- **birth name**: Mutsuhito
- **succession**: Emperor of Japan
- **reign**: 3 February 1867–30 July 1912
()
- **predecessor**: Emperor Kōmei, Kōmei
- **successor**: Emperor Taishō, Taishō
- **birth place**: Kyoto, Empire Of Japan
- **death place**: Tokyo,Empire Of Japan (Today ; Japan)
- **burial place**: _Mozu no Mimihara no naka no misasagi_  (Osaka)