1867 MEIJI BECOMES EMPEROR OF JAPAN
The end of a centuries-old dynasty, and a new start for the ancient island nation
The 14-year-old Crown Prince Mutsuhito of Japan became the 122nd emperor in February 1867. In this tumultuous period of Japanese history, Emperor Meiji’s accession was part of a chain of events that finally ended the country’s over-200-year period of ‘sakoku’ – or total isolation.