Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery
Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery opened in Tokyo, Japan, in 1926. In June 2011, the Gallery was designated an Important Cultural Property. Inside are eighty paintings depicting events from the life of Emperor Meiji, by forty leading nihonga and forty leading yōga artists.
Wall art collections are displayed to show the events from the birth to the demise of the Meij'i Emperor in chronological order, with the titles of the
works representing the events. The first 40 works are Japanese-style paintings, while the later 40 are Western-style works. The pictures, each measuring about 3m x 2.7m.
The building was designed by architect Masatsugu Kobayashi and completed on 22 October 1926. Kobayashi's design was chosen from 156 entries in a public design competition held in 1918. His original drawing was modified by Meijijingu Zoeikyoku.
| Painting | Date of event | Painter | Dedication of painting | Comments | Image | Dedicator | |
| 1 | The Birth of Emperor Meiji Go-kōtan | Takahashi Shūka | depicted is the Lying-in Chamber erected by Nakayama Tadayasu in the grounds of Kyoto Imperial Palace | ||||
| 2 | The Rites of Growth On-fukasogi | Kitano Tsunetomi | ceremonial trimming of the hair, performed by Ichijō Tadaka in the Omima | ||||
| 3 | Investiture of the Crown Prince Ritsu shinnō senge | Hashimoto Eihō | Nijō Nariyuki presents the imperial proclamation at the Palace | ||||
| 4 | Accession to the Throne Senso | Kawasaki Shōko | the Emperor, aged fifteen, appointed Nijō Nariyuki as regent in the Seiryōden on the day of his accession | ' | |||
| 5 | Resignation of the Last Shōgun Taisei hōkan | Murata Tanryō | Tokugawa Yoshinobu informs officials of his decision at Nijō-jō | ||||
| 6 | Restoration of Imperial Rule Ōsei-fukko | Shimada Bokusen | the Emperor abolishes the offices of Sesshō, Kampaku, and Shōgun | ||||
| 7 | The Battles of Toba and Fushimi Fushimi-Toba-sen | Matsubayashi Keigetsu | |||||
| 8 | Attainment of Majority Ceremony Go-genpuku | Itō Kōun | held shortly after the Emperor turned 16; his hairstyle was changed, he donned the robes of manhood, and he was crowned by Prince Fushimi Kuniie | ||||
| 9 | The Emperor's Visit to the Dajōkan Nijō-jō Dakōjan dai-gyōkō | Kobori Tomoto | the Emperor was conveyed to Nijō-jō by palanquin | ||||
| 10 | The Imperial Army Leaves Kyōto Dai-sōtoku Taruhito shinnō Kyōto shinpatsu | Takatori Wakanari | Prince Arisugawa Taruhito salutes the Emperor in front of the Kenreimon before setting out for Edo | ||||
| 11 | The Emperor Receives Foreign Ministers Kakkoku kōshi shōken | Hiroshima Kōho | the Emperor receives Dirk de Graeff van Polsbroek; to the left and right of the imperial dais are Prince Yamashina Akira and Iwakura Tomomi | ||||
| 12 | Proclamation of the Imperial Oath Gokajō no go-seimon | Inui Nanyō | Sanjō Sanetomi reads the Oath in Five Articles | ||||
| 13 | The Surrender of Yedo Castle Edo kaijō danpan | Yūki Somei | Saigō Takamori and Katsu Kaishū negotiate the surrender without bloodshed of Edo Castle | ||||
| 14 | The Emperor Reviewing Clan Warships Ōsaka gyōkō shohan gunkan goran | Okada Saburōsuke | in Ōsaka Bay | ||||
| 15 | Enthronement of the Emperor Sokui no rei | Igai Shōkoku | in the grounds of Kyōto Imperial Palace | ||||
| 16 | The Emperor Viewing Rice Harvest Nōmin shūkaku goran | Morimura Gitō | in Hatchōnowate, Owari Province, while en route to Tōkyō | ||||
| 17 | The Emperor Arriving in Tōkyō Tōkyō go-chakuren | Kobori Tomoto | arrival at Edo Castle | ||||
| 18 | Installation of the Empress Kōgō no sakuritsu | Suga Tatehiko | Princess Haruko arrived at the Kyōto Imperial Palace in the traditional ox-cart | ||||
| 19 | The Emperor at the Grand Shrine of Ise Jingū shinetsu | Matsuoka Eikyū | the Emperor left Kyōto for Tōkyō for the second time on 8 April 1869, stopping en route at Ise Jingū | ||||
| 20 | The End of the Feudal Clans Haihan chiken | Kobori Tomoto | Sanjō Sanetomi reads the edict | ||||
| 21 | The Iwakura Mission to America and Europe Iwakura taishi Ōbei haken | Yamaguchi Hōshun | the party board the steamship SS America in the Port of Yokohama | ' | |||
| 22 | The Great Imperial Thanksgiving Rite Daijō-sai | Maeda Seison | performed once by each emperor; the Emperor offers up newly harvested rice and sake | ' | |||
| 23 | Imperial Tour of Chūgoku and Kyūshū Chūgoku Saikoku junkō | Yamamoto Morinosuke | aboard the ironclad Ryūjō | ||||
| 24 | Imperial Tour of Chūgoku and Kyūshū Chūgoku Saikoku junkō | ||||||
| 25 | Opening of the Keihin tetsudō kaigyō-shiki gyōkō | Komura Daiun | the Emperor arrives at Shimbashi Station by carriage before proceeding to Yokohama Station by train | ||||
| 26 | Establishment of the Ryūkyū Clan Ryūkyū-han setchi | Yamada Shinzan | in 1872 Shō Tai, last king of the Ryūkyū Kingdom, sent an envoy to Tōkyō; the ship is shown returning to Naha | ' | |||
| 27 | The Emperor Reviewing Military Manoeuvres Narashino-no-hara enshū gyōkō | Koyama Eitatsu | on the Narashino Plain in Chiba Prefecture | ||||
| 28 | The Empress at a Silk Factory Tomioka seishijō gyōkei | Arai Kampō | Empress Shōken and Empress Dowager Eishō visit Tomioka Silk Mill | ||||
| 29 | The Emperor Drilling Soldiers Go-renbei | Machida Kyokukō | on the grounds of the Akasaka Temporary Palace | ||||
| 30 | His Majesty at Lecture Jikō shinkō | Dōmoto Inshō | Motoda Nagasane lectures to the Emperor | ' | |||
| 31 | The Emperor on a Personal Visit Tokugawa-tei gyōkō | Kimura Buzan | while viewing cherry blossoms at the residence of Tokugawa Akitake, the Emperor composed a tanka in honour of the loyalty of his host's forebears Tokugawa Mitsukuni and Tokugawa Nariaki | ||||
| 32 | The Empress Viewing Rice-Planting Kōgō-miya taue goran | Kondō Shōsen | in the grounds of the Akasaka Temporary Palace | ||||
| 33 | The First Conference of Governors Chihōkan kaigi ringyo | Isoda Chōshū | |||||
| 34 | The Empress at a School for Girls Joshi shihan gakkō gyōkei | Yazawa Gengetsu | the Empress attends the opening ceremony of Tokyo Normal School for Girls | ||||
| 35 | The Emperor Inspecting Horses Ōu junkō bahitsu goran | Neagari Tomiji | at Morioka Hachimangū | ' | |||
| 36 | The Imperial Mausoleum at Unebi Unebi-ryō shinetsu | Yoshida Shūkō | the Emperor worships at the mausoleum of Emperor Jimmu at Unebi | ||||
| 37 | The Siege of Kumamoto Castle Seinan-eki Kumamoto rōjō | Kondō Shōsen | rebels under Saigō Takamori shell Kumamoto Castle during the Satsuma Rebellion | ||||
| 38 | Attending an Industrial Exhibit Naikoku kangyō hakurankai gyōkō kei | Yūki Somei | The Emperor and Empress attend the First National Industrial Exhibition in Ueno Park | ||||
| 39 | The Emperor and Empress Dowager at a Noh Play Nōgaku goran | Konoshima Ōkoku | at the Aoyama Palace | ||||
| 40 | The Empress Composing a Poem Hatsu-gan no o-uta | Kaburagi Kiyotaka | Empress Shōken composed over thirty thousand poems, including one linking the flight of the wild geese she saw at the Akasaka Temporary Palace with the absent Emperor; her ladies-in-waiting subsequently sent the poem to the Emperor | ' | |||
| 41 | The Emperor Meeting General U. S. Grant Guranto shōgun to o-taiwa | Ōkubo Sakujirō | the Emperor and Grant met at the Hama-rikyū Detached Palace, Yoshida Kiyonari serving as interpreter | ' | |||
| 42 | The Emperor in Hokkaidō Hokkaidō junkō tondenhei goran | Takamura Shimpu | the Emperor visits a tondenhei community in the village of Yamana, now Sapporo | ||||
| 43 | Visiting a Silver Mine Yamagata Akita junkō kōzan o | Gomi Seikichi | at Innai Silver Mine in Akita Prefecture | ||||
| 44 | Establishment of the Monetary Conversion System Dakan seido go-jijō | Matsuoka Hisashi | Minister of the Treasury Matsukata Masayoshi explains the currency conversion system to the Emperor | ||||
| 45 | Imperial Mandate for the Army and Navy Gunjin chokuyu kashi | Terasaki Takeo | the Emperor hands the mandate to Army Minister Ōyama Iwao | ||||
| 46 | Conference on the Revision of Treaties Jōyaku kaisei kaigi | Ueno Hiroichi | Minister of Foreign Affairs Inoue Kaoru delivers a speech | ||||
| 47 | The Emperor Visiting a Sick Iwakura Iwakura-tei gyōkō | Kita Renzō | Iwakura Tomomi died the following day | ||||
| 48 | The Empress at the Peeress' School Kazoku jogakkō gyōkei | Atomi Yutaka | Empress Shōken listens to the Principal reading a congratulatory message to the assembled students and teachers | ||||
| 49 | Patroness of the Tokyo Charity Hospital Tōkyō jikei iin gyōkei | Mitsutani Kunishirō | Empress Shōken donated annually to the Hospital and visited regularly | ||||
| 50 | Conference on Drafting a Constitution Sūmitsuin kenpō kaigi | Goseda Hōryū | Itō Hirobumi explains the draft of the Meiji Constitution to the Emperor and the Privy Council | ||||
| 51 | Promulgation of the Constitution Kenpō happu shiki | Wada Eisaku | the Emperor hands the Meiji Constitution to Prime Minister Kuroda Kiyotaka at a ceremony in the Imperial Palace | ||||
| 52 | Grand Parade to Celebrate the Constitution Kenpō happu kanpei shiki gyōkō kei | ||||||
| 53 | Poetry Party at the Imperial Palace Uta-gokai hajime | Yamashita Shintarō | held in the Phoenix Hall at the Imperial Palace, with poems composed on the topic of the celebration of national prosperity | ||||
| 54 | The Emperor at Joint Military Manoeuvres Rikukaigun dai-enshū go-tōkan | Nahahara Kōtarō | the Emperor watches from a hill near Nagoya during a rain storm | ||||
| 55 | The Imperial Rescript on Education Kyōiku chokugo kashi | Ataka Yasugorō | Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo and Minister of Education Yoshikawa Akimasa leave the Imperial Palace with the Rescript | ||||
| 56 | Inauguration of the First Imperial Diet Teikoku Gikai kaiin shiki ringyo | Kosugi Misei | Itō Hirobumi, Speaker of the House of Peers, receives the Emperor's message, while Speaker of the House of Representatives Nakajima Nobuyuki stands below | ||||
| 57 | Silver Wedding Anniversary of the Emperor Daikon nijūgo-nen shukuten | Hasegawa Noboru | a performance of traditional dances in the Imperial Palace | ' | |||
| 58 | The Battle of Pyongyang Nisshin-eki Pyon'yan-sen | Kanayama Heizō | the Mixed Ninth Brigade, under General Ōshima Yoshimasa, in action, during the First Sino-Japanese War | ||||
| 59 | The Battle of the Yellow Sea Nisshin'eki Kō-kai kaisen | Ōta Kijirō | the Japanese fleet, under Admiral Itō Sukeyuki, engages the Chinese | ||||
| 60 | The Emperor at Imperial Headquarters Hiroshima daihon'ei gunmu shinsai | Minami Kunzō | the Emperor as Supreme Commander is briefed by Vice-Chief of the General Staff Kawakami Sōroku at headquarters in Hiroshima | ||||
| 61 | The Empress Visiting Wounded Soldiers Hiroshima yobi byōin gyōkei | Ishii Hakutei | Empress Shōken visits the Army Auxiliary Hospital in Hiroshima | ||||
| 62 | Peace Conference at Shimonoseki Shimonoseki kōwa danpan | Nagatochi Hideta | Lying-in Chamber | ||||
| 63 | Restoration of Peace in Taiwan Taiwan chintei | Ishikawa Toraji | Prince Kitashirakawa Yoshihisa enters Taipei | ||||
| 64 | The Emperor at Yasukuni Shrine Yasukuni Jinja gyōkō | Shimizu Yoshio | the Emperor ascends the stairs to honour those who fell in the First Sino-Japanese War | ||||
| 65 | Shintenfu Hall Shintenfu | Kawamura Kiyoo | the hall was built in the grounds of the Imperial Palace to house items relating to the war, including photographs of all the officers and the names of all the dead | ||||
| 66 | The Anglo-Japanese Treaty of Alliance Nichiei dōmei | Yamamoto Kanae | Prime Minister Katsura Tarō reads the Treaty to the House of Peers | ||||
| 67 | The Empress at a Red Cross Meeting Akajūji-sha sōkai gyōkei | Yuasa Ichirō | Empress Shōken addresses the 11th General Meeting of the Japanese Red Cross Society in Ueno Park | ||||
| 68 | Declaration of War with Russia tai-Ro sensen fukoku gozen kaigi | Yoshida Shigeru | the Emperor, Prime Minister Katsura Tarō, elder statesman Itō Hirobumi, and others agree to the declaration of war with Russia at a Gozen Kaigi | ||||
| 69 | The Surrender of Port Arthur Nichiro-eki ryojun kaijō | Arai Rokuo | General Anatoly Stessel presents his horse to General Nogi Maresuke in the village where the surrender was signed three days earlier | ' | |||
| 70 | The Battle of Mukden Nochiro-eki Hōten-sen | Kanokogi Takeshirō | General Ōyama Iwao and his staff enter the South Gate of Mukden, after the city fell on the 10th | ||||
| 71 | The Battle of the Japan Sea Nichiro-eki Nihon-kai kaisen | Nakamura Fusetsu | Admiral Tōgō Heihachirō's flagship, the Mikasa, leads the Japanese fleet into action at the Battle of Tsushima | ||||
| 72 | The Portsmouth Peace Conference Pōtsumasu kōwa danpan | Shirataki Ikunosuke | Komura Jutarō, Sergei Witte, and others sign the Treaty, bringing to an end the Russo-Japanese War | ||||
| 73 | The Triumphal Grand :ja:Fleet Review |Naval Review Gaisen kankan shiki | Tōjō Shōtarō | the Emperor aboard the Asama reviews the Combined Fleet in Yokohama Bay on 23 October 1905, with Commander-in-Chief Tōgō Heihachirō to his left and the future Taishō Emperor to his right, flanked in turn by Navy Minister Yamamoto Gonnohyōe and Chief of the Navy General Staff Itō Sukeyuki; over 160 vessels took part in the 1905 Triumphal Grand Review that celebrated the navy's contribution to victory in the Russo-Japanese War | ||||
| 74 | The Triumphal Grand Army Review Gaisen kanbei shiki | Kobayashi Mango | the Emperor reviews the troops at the Aoyama Parade Grounds, with Ōyama Iwao riding behind | ||||
| 75 | Demarcation of the Sakhalin Frontier Karafuto kokkyō kakutei | Yasuda Minoru | Japanese and Russian representatives designate the boundary marker on the 50th parallel, after the Treaty of Portsmouth | ||||
| 76 | The Chrysanthemum Garden Party Kangikukai | Nakazawa Hiromitsu | the Emperor and Empress attend the party at the Akasaka Palace for the first time | ||||
| 77 | The Union of Korea and Japan Nikkan gappō | Tsuji Hisashi | depicted is the Namdaemun at the time of annexation | ||||
| 78 | The Emperor at Tokyo Imperial University Tōkyō Teikoku Daigaku gyōkō | Fujishima Takeji | the arrival of the Emperor for the graduation ceremonies | ||||
| 79 | The Emperor's Final Illness Fuyo | Tanabe Itaru | as the Emperor's condition worsened, people gather outside the Tokyo Imperial Palace to pray for his recovery | ||||
| 80 | The Imperial Funeral Taisō | Wada Sanzō | after a ceremony at the Aoyama Funeral Pavilion in Tōkyō on 13 September, the Emperor's coffin was taken by train to Kyōto, before being conveyed to Fushimi Momoyama no Misasagi |