Meiji-Portraits - Bernd Lepach

This special page is dedicated to the MEIJI - Tennō, his life and family.

The Emperor Meiji was a “living god,” the head of a restored monarchy, leader of the nation, and a symbol of modernization and efforts and accomplishments in Japan’s becoming a member of the world community. During his reign the nation defeated a much larger nation (China), and a white, Christian, European nation - Russia. Immense social and economic reform was made.

Detailed curriculum vitae for the

Emperor and Empress is part of this site.

Please visit also the

Paintings at the Meiji Shrine

Additionally, images of or related to the Emperor Meiji and Imperial Family are introduced from the

Collection of Aaron M Cohen according to 7 categories:

1. Meiji Tennō
2. The Emperor’s Personal Items

3. Meiji and the Military
4. Meiji and the Russo-Japanese War
5. The Imperial Palace and Villas
6. The Imperial Family and VIPs
7. Death of the Emperor


Meiji Tennō 明治天皇 1852 - 1912 Emporer Meiji Empress Shōken	03.11.1852 in Kyoto 30.07.1912 Der Kaiser Meiji, der zweite Sohn des Kaisers Kōmei, wurde am 03.11.1852 in Kyōto geboren und wurde Mutsuhito genannt. Nach dem Tod von Kōmei am 09.01.1867 wurde Prinz Mutsuhito der 122. Kaiser nach der traditionellen Zählung und der Name Meiji („Aufgeklärte Regierung“) angenommrn. wird fortgesetzt Die Meiji Ära war die ruhm - und erfolgreichste Periode in der mehr als 2.000 - jährigen Geschichte Japans. Als die Meiji Ära 1912 endete, war Japan eine Weltmacht. Im Zentrum Tokyos wurde zu seinen Ehren der Meiji - Schrein errichtet. Nach seinem Ableben am 30.07.1912 wurde er auf dem Fushimi Momoyama Ryo (Friedhof) in Kyoto beigesetzt und seiner Seele im Meiji - Schrein gedacht. Kaiserin Haruko, nach ihrem Tod Kaiserin Shōken genannt, wurde am 28.05.1850 in Kyōto geboren. Sie war die dritte Tochter von Minister Tadaka Ichijō. Nach der Hochzeit mit Kaiser Meiji 1868 kümmerte sie sich begeistert um die nationale Wohlfahrt und die Erziehung der Frauen, so dass sie als „Mutter der Nation“ verehrt wurde. Sie unterstützte auch die Gründung des Roten Kreuzes in Japan und stiftete dem Internationalen Kreuz einen Fond, der unter dem Namen „Kaiserin Shoken Fond“ bekannt ist. Sie starb am 19.04.1914 und wurde neben Kaiser Meiji beigesetzt.	03.11.1852 in Kyoto 30.07.1912 Emperor Meiji, the second son of Emperor Kōmei, was born on November 3rd, 1852 in Kyoto and named Mutsuhito. Upon the death of Kōmei on January 9, 1867, Prince Mutsuhito became the 122nd emperor in the traditional count, taking the name Meiji (“enlightened government”). to be continued The Meiji period was the most glorious and prosperous period of all the Japanese history of more than 2,000 years. When the Meiji period ended in 1912, Japan was a world power. The Meiji shrine in the centre of Tokyo was built in his honour. After his demise on July 30th, 1912, he was buried at the Fushimi Momoyama Ryo (Graveyard) in Kyoto, his soul being enshrined in Meiji Jingū. Empress Haruko, posthumously known as Empress Shōken, was born on May 28th, 1850 in Kyōto. She was the third daughter of minister Tadaka Ichijō. After becoming the consort of Emperor Meiji in 1868, she devoted herself to promoting national welfare and women’s education, and was adored as the “Mother of the Nation”. She also worked for the establishment of the Japan Red Cross and donated a fund to the International Red Cross, which was named “The Empress Shoken Fund”. She passed away on April 19, 1914, and was buried near Emperor Meiji.

Postcard Collection of MEIJI Tennō and his family (Collection of Aaron M. Cohen)

1. Meiji Tennō


001 A + B	“Long Live Our Emperor” with musical score background and art nouveau border	Reproduction of famous portrait of Meiji Tenn, by Edoardo Chiosonne
002 A + B	Meiji Tennō (3) Montage of portraits of Meiji, Crown Prince Yoshihito, other VIPs; monochrome printing	Emperor’s pennant; gold printing (dark in image shown), probably issued when the emperor visited some place outside of Tokyo; botanical ornamentation; embossed.
003 A + B	Imperial railway lounge car, issued by Imperial Government Railways; dated 5/20/1906; reverse has rubber stamp impression of “Commemorating 50,000 kilometers of railways.”	Meiji’s globe; issued by Imperial Museum; monochrome.
004 A + B	Emperor Giving Audience to the Ministers of Foreign Countries (sic), painting by Koho Hiroshima; date 2/30/1868; contributed by Muneaki Date [former lord of Uwajima; politican]; “Shinshinden, Kyoto Imperial Palace;” # 11 (mural) at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery.	Imperial Attendance at the Domestic Exhibition, painting by Somei Yûki; date 8/21/1877; contributed by Toshimichi Okubo; “Ueno Art Museum;” #38 at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery.
006 A + 013 A	Meiji Tennō (7): Postcard commemorating visit to Oita Prefecture by the emperor, 1905; vignette photos of where he stayed and where he disembarked; gold Imperial chrysanthemum (dark in image shown); embossed printing; commemorative cancellation on obverse with date November 1907.	Meiji Tennō (8) Reproduction of famous portrait of Meiji, by E. Chiosonne (monochrome).

2. The Emperor’s Personal Items

3. Meiji and the Military


005 A + B	Naval Victory Parade, painting by Shotarō Tōjō; date 10/23/05; contributed by the Navy Department; card #73 at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery; reverse has rubber stamp impression from the Meiji Shrine, dated 5/18/1935.	Imperial Conference [Council meeting presided by the emperor] for Declaration of War with Russia, painting by Shigeru Yoshida; date 2/8/1904; venue is Front Parlor of Palace; contributed by Baron Matsukata; card #68 at Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery.
006 B + 013 B	Postcard commemorating “Special Grand [Army] Maneuvers,” November 1907, at Yūki (Ibaraki-ken); vignette photos of Meiji portrait and where he stayed when observing the war games; Imperial chrysanthemum; gold (dark in image shown); embossed.	Painting by Masaji Hiraki of Meiji’s witnessing Army exercises in Kamakura in the rain on 4/15/73; he worshipped at the Hachiman Shrine on this occasion; no. 16 of a series.
008 A + B	Figure to follow!!! Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; HQ Building	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; HQ Building seen from the air
009 A + B	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; HQ Building Gate and sign	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; HQ Building
010 A + B	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; Emperor’s chamber	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; Empress’ quarters
011 A + B	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; interior	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; HQ Building floor plan
012 A + B	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; Emperor’s chair and hibachi (monochrome)	Central command HQ for Russo-Japanese War; Emperor’s chair and hibachi

4. Meiji and the Russo-Japanese War

5. The Imperial Palace and Villas

6. The Imperial Family and VIPs

7. Death of the Emperor

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