2018 Is [ Meiji 】 150 years It seems to hit.
Historically in Japan, Meiji era Is also an important era at a major turning point.
So today, Emperor Meiji I would like to write about.
Birth of Emperor Meiji
Emperor Meiji Is 1866 at the end of the Edo period His father, Emperor Komei, died, and the following year 1867 I became the throne at the age of 14. A boy in the second grade of junior high school would be the center of the new government during the turbulent period at the end of the Edo period, so it must have been a tremendous pressure.
The year after his coronation, Edo Shogunate 15th Shogun ・ Yoshinobu Tokugawa From [ Taisei Hokan ] Will be performed. This will bring the emperor and the imperial court into politics for the first time in hundreds of years.
Difference between [Taisei Hokan] and [Restoration of the Royal Government]
Due to the sudden repatriation of the Taisei Hokan from the Shogunate, the Emperor's side could not respond immediately, so the former Shogunate will carry out the business until the new government system is established.
It took about a year to 1868 Ready for [ Restoration of the Royal Government ] Was issued.
Well, here 1867 Taisei Hokan And 1868 Restoration of the Royal Order What's the difference? I think there are many people who say that, so I wrote down the difference.
- From the Tokugawa Shogunate to the imperial court It was issued ... Taisei Hokan
- From the imperial court to the public house and the world Was issued to ... The Great Order of Restoration
[ Shogunate ] Formally, an institution that conducts politics on behalf of the emperor So, the person who returns power is the emperor I think it's easy to understand if you hold it down.
From the end of the Edo period to the Meiji era, many such events occurred and the situation changed rapidly, but the Emperor Meiji lived in a turbulent era without hesitation.
I was trying to retain the influence of the shogunate
In the early Meiji era, the Edo Shogunate remained formally.
By returning political power to the imperial court, there is no cause for defeating , Many samurai families, including the Tokugawa family, should not be blamed. Yoshinobu Tokugawa said, [ The Shogunate organization will disappear, and the Tokugawa family will survive as the leader in the new organization, and let's create a parliament centered on Tokugawa . ] There was an idea.
In other words, [ Shogunate I tried to create the same organization with a different name, which is virtually unchanged just by eliminating the organization.
However, Yoshinobu's idea was known because the debate group was not stupid.
Therefore, we plan to expel Tokugawa Yoshinobu from the new government.
As a starting point, I demand that I resign from the official office and return the territory to the imperial court.
It seems that Yoshinobu didn't think that he would take such a hard-line measure, so he refused to do so and moved to Osaka Castle to hear about the debate group. Other daimyo also stayed in the local area and watched the situation without attending Yoshinobu.
The only clan that immediately went up was the Samurai faction.
New policies issued one after another before the end of the Boshin War
The feudal lords cannot be silent about the fact that the Tokugawa Shogunate is in a dangerous state, and they will strengthen their confrontation with the debate faction. Yoshinobu manages to appease the feudal lords, but his soldiers explode and Boshin War Will start.
Emperor Meiji However, this battle was unwilling, but as a debate group, [ chance ] It was nothing. At the beginning of the battle, the Shogunate army seemed to have an advantage in terms of equipment and strength, but gradually the new government army will have an advantage.
In the midst of this battle, Emperor Meiji will start a new policy for a new era.
- Five Oaths
- Five Public Notices
- Changed to "Meiji", one reign, one generation
- Transfer of the capital to Tokyo (preparation)
Including these series of institutional reforms and westernization [ Meiji Restoration 】Is called.
This will
- From now on, the emperor will do politics
- Japan becomes stronger centered on the emperor
That was totally appealing.
Along with that, as part of the physical strength of Emperor Meiji, the emperor himself began to practice martial arts with a specialized instructor. During the Edo period, the emperor [ practiced because he was interested in martial arts ] Just because there was a blame from the Shogunate, it is a considerable change.
An important job in the new government is to meet with foreign dignitaries
Became a new government Emperor Meiji There were more new jobs in.
Among them, the meeting with foreign dignitaries was important. Ulysses Grant, the former President of the United States, who came to Japan in the 12th year of the Meiji era, advice for international recognition Is said to have received a lot.
At first, Emperor Meiji was interested in martial arts and scholarship, but he was not very keen on political affairs. Therefore, I have seen Western monarchs during my visit to Europe Hirobumi Ito Says that they often collided.
Ito decided to let the emperor participate in the political affairs in 1897. ] Established,
[ In such cases, the emperor himself should participate in the affairs ] Etc. are clearly written in sentences.
As the emperor actively participated in the affairs, his responsibility and interest in the affairs increased, and his visit to the Cabinet increased. Meiji Constitution and Imperial House Law At the time of deliberation such as, it seems that he participated in almost all meetings, and after the meeting, Ito was often called to ask for explanations.
The position is clarified by the Constitution of the Empire of Japan
In the 22nd year of the Meiji era, the Meiji Constitution Is promulgated, and the position of the emperor becomes clear.
The Emperor's position is sacred and inviolable, but bears a lot of power and obligations ] Is written.
However, Emperor Meiji It's his political job until the constitution is enacted There seems to be Fushi who thought that it was, and after the constitution is enacted, he will not participate much in politics. Occasionally, he seemed to be reluctant to hire personnel, but basically he did not distort the opinions of the Cabinet and his close associates.
This attitude was later Emperor Taisho / Emperor Showa . It has been taken over by.
The only exception is the Sino-Japanese War At that time, the emperor refused to dispatch a messenger to Ise Jingu and Emperor Komei's mausoleum, and dedication festival * at the Miyanaka Sanden. It is said that he did not attend.
* The dedication festival meant "reporting to ancestors" for Emperor Meiji.
In fact, Emperor Meiji said, [ This war is unwilling, so I don't feel like reporting it to my ancestors . ] Will be said.
Still, I don't know if it's a job when the war starts, or if it's to give an indication to the soldiers and the people, but when the Imperial Headquarters was set up in Hiroshima, I stayed for a while and worked hard in political and military affairs. raised.
Finally
After the turbulent end of the Edo period, even after the Meiji Restoration, political change in the 6th year of the Meiji era, political change in the 14th year of the Meiji era Although the conflict was fierce and messed up, it would be a great achievement to set the right path for the construction of modern Japan by Minpon Shugi without shaking.