Emperor Meiji, born Mutsuhito on November 3, 1852, was the 122nd Emperor of Japan, reigning from 1867 until his death on July 30, 1912. During his reign, Japan was transformed from an isolated feudal state into a modern industrial power known as the Meiji Restoration. During the Meiji Restoration, Japan underwent a number of rapid changes that included the introduction of political, economic, and social reforms, as well as the adoption of Western technologies and government. taking over systems. During the reign of Emperor Meiji, Japan opened its doors to the outside world and accelerated its modernization process to keep pace with Western powers. Opening of the Meiji Constitution (1889) and the Diet (1890). It also played an important role during the Sino-Japanese (1894–95) and Russo-Japanese (1904–05) wars. After the death of Emperor Meiji, Japan was already a nation with considerable influence on the world stage, and during his reign steps taken laid the foundations of modern Japan. The emperor himself represented a fusion of Western and Japanese culture; he wore western clothes and ate western-style food, but he also wrote 100,000 traditional Japanese-style poems during his lifetime. imperial given name Haruko (美子) and posthumous Empress Dowager Shōken (昭憲皇太后[1], Shōken-kōtaigō), wife of Emperor Meiji of Japan. He was one of the founders of the Japanese Red Cross Society, whose charity work was known during the First Sino-Japanese War. The wedding of Haruko and Emperor Meiji was officially held on January 11, 1869. She was the first imperial consort in hundreds of years to receive the titles of nyōgō and kōgō (literally, wife of the emperor, translated as "consort of the empress"). However, it soon became clear that she could not bear children. However, Emperor Meiji already had 12 children from 5 concubines: as is customary in the Japanese monarchy, Empress Haruko adopted Yoshihito, her husband's eldest son, from Yanagihara Naruko, who became crown prince.

During the reign of Emperor Meiji, Japan's coinage underwent significant changes. In the pre-imperial period, Japanese coinage was controlled by the Han, i.e. territories ruled by feudal states. The Han minted their own money and were often made in different materials and sizes. This system made trade and the development of the economy difficult. In 1868 Emperor Meiji introduced a uniform coinage in Japan. The new monetary system was modeled on the West, and the single currency issued by the empire, the yen, was introduced. In addition to the yen, the empire minted many other types of coins of lesser value. The coinage of the Meiji era contributed significantly to the modernization of Japan. The unified monetary system facilitated trade and the development of the economy. Western-style coins made Japan a part of the modern world. The coinage of the Meiji era contributed significantly to the rise of Japan in the 20th century.