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Meiji

(Encyclopedia)Meiji māˈjē [key], 1852–1912, reign name of the emperor of Japan from 1867 to 1912; his given name was Mutsuhito. He ascended the throne when he was 15. A year later the shogun fell, and the powe...

Meiji restoration

(Encyclopedia)Meiji restoration, The term refers to both the events of 1868 that led to the “restoration” of power to the emperor and the entire period of revolutionary changes that coincided with the Meiji emp...

Kuroda, Kiyotaka

(Encyclopedia)Kuroda, Kiyotaka, 1840–1900, Japanese political leader. Born into a samurai family in Satsuma, he was active in overthrowing the Tokugawa shogunate and promoting the Meiji restoration. In 1874, as f...

Shimazaki Toson

(Encyclopedia)Shimazaki Toson shēˈmäˈzäˈkē tōˈsōn [key], 1872–1943, Japanese poet and novelist. A pioneer in the establishment of a new Japanese verse form, Toson later turned his talents to prose ficti...

Nogi, Maresuke

(Encyclopedia)Nogi, Maresuke märāˈso͞okā nōˈgē [key], 1849–1912, Japanese general. Made a lieutenant general in 1895, he became governor-general of Taiwan. He was the hero of the capture of Port Arthur in...

Iwakura, Tomomi, Prince

(Encyclopedia)Iwakura, Tomomi, Prince tōmōˈmē ēwäˈko͞orä [key], 1825–83, Japanese statesman. A court noble, he supported the Meiji restoration and became a minister of state (1871–83). In 1871 he heade...

Taishō

(Encyclopedia)Taishō tīˈshō [key], 1879–1926, reign name of emperor of Japan (1912–26). His given name was Yoshihito. The son of Mutsuhito, the Meiji emperor, he succeeded to the throne in 1912, but because...

Satsuma

(Encyclopedia)Satsuma sätso͞oˈmä [key], peninsula, Kagoshima prefecture, SW Kyushu, Japan. It gives its name to a famous porcelain, Satsuma ware, which was first manufactured there by Korean artisans in the 16t...

Okubo, Toshimichi

(Encyclopedia)Okubo, Toshimichi tōˌshēmēˈchē ōˈko͞obō [key], 1830–78, Japanese statesman. A major figure in the Meiji restoration, he was influential in introducing Western ideas to Japan. He supported ...

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