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Tomb of Emperor Meiji | by toranosuke
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Tomb of Emperor Meiji

Zoomed in, seen through the frame of the first torii. You can just barely make out the Imperial Chrysanthemum, on the second set of gates, largely hidden behind the green-patinaed first set of gates. While I gather that some rather large area of tree-covered hill is meant to constitute the full area of the mausoleum, it is interesting and surprising to see this grey mound right here behind the gates, which looks (for all I know) more directly/explicitly like it could be the actual gravesite.

 

Emperor Meiji was certainly one of the most influential figures in Japanese history; or, rather, as I am unaware just how much of an influence he had on all of this, let's just say that the period of his reign saw more dramatic changes and major historic events than, well, most periods of history in any country around the world.

 

Born in 1852, before the arrival of Commodore Perry and most of the events that would lead to the downfall of the shogunate, he was about 15, and had been on the throne for less than one year when the shogunate fully fell, and Imperial Rule was restored, through the actions of various samurai factions. There are lengthy biographies out there (including at least one in English) of the Meiji Emperor, but I have not read them, so I am unclear as to how involved he was in these events, or even what his opinion of them may have been. Consider it this way: had his father not suddenly fallen ill at the age of 36 or so and died, a different emperor would have been on the throne when the samurai overthrow of the shogunate occurred. Would it have occurred any differently? Would it not have still occurred?

 

The Meiji Emperor was married soon afterwards, to Ichijô Haruko (Empress Shôken), a member of a very long-established aristocracy family.

 

Skimming through the Wikipedia article on the Emperor (yes, yes, I know), it is interesting to realize how sheltered his life was prior to the fall of the shogunate, and how many "firsts" he experienced in the early years of the Meiji era, given that he is portrayed today (and was very deliberately portrayed at the time) as extremely strong, strong-willed, intelligent, determined, and all-around capable. He left Kyoto for the first time in 1868, going briefly to Osaka, and then traveling to Tokyo for the first time later that year. This was actually the first time an Emperor had left Kyoto, let alone traveled to Edo (Tokyo) in hundreds of years. It was not decided until the following year, 1869, that the imperial capital would be moved to Tokyo. Emperor Meiji boarded a ship for the first time early in this stay in Tokyo.

 

From what little I have read, he does seem a very capable and intelligent man, or at least there was a rather successful propaganda campaign around him portraying him as such. He met with former US President Ulysses S Grant in 1879, and is described as being very eager and interested to learn from Grant about the "modern" operations of democratic countries, statesmanship, how to govern, etc. According to one scholar, during debates with his officials over the drafting of the Constitution, the Emperor frequently mentioned Grant and Grant's ideas or suggestions.

 

It would take pages and pages to go through all the things that happened in the Meiji era, but we can sort of summarize. The Emperor did take a direct hand in state affairs for the first time in centuries, but even so, much can be attributed to his ministers anyway...

 

His reign saw the abolition of the feudal domains (han) and of the samurai class, and the institution of the modern prefecture system and bureaucracy. Samurai, court nobles, and certain others were made into a new aristocracy. The country went on a major modernization drive, building up industry, and, yes, military. Japan annexed Okinawa and Hokkaido, and defeated China and Russia in the Sino-Japanese (1894-1895) and Russo-Japanese Wars (1904-1905) - only the second time that a Western power was defeated by a non-Western power - obtaining Taiwan and Korea. Japan participated in World's Fairs, and, the maritime restrictions imposed under the shogunate lifted, Japanese traveled the world, bringing back countless arts, technologies, and other ideas, and many Japanese emigrated overseas as well.

 

Emperor Meiji died in 1912, and was succeeded by his son Yoshihito, who reigned as Emperor Taishô.

 

Emperor Meiji was the first Emperor to reign in Tokyo, and the last to be buried in Kyoto. Currently, there are two imperial tombs in Tokyo: those of Meiji's son Taishô, and of his son, Emperor Shôwa (Hirohito). I would presume that the current Emperor, Akihito (Heisei), will be buried there as well. It is interesting, and confusing, that the emperor who so represents the move to Tokyo and the move to modernity, and great changes and shifts in general, should be buried here in Kyoto, closer to his ancestors. The parallel created by his being buried next to Emperor Kammu, who established Kyoto as the capital, Meiji having established a new capital as well, is striking. The idea of Meiji being buried here marking connections to tradition, noting him as the last emperor to rule in Kyoto, is also a strong possibility.

 

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Taken on June 19, 2010