Emperor Meiji

Emperor Meiji , or Meiji the Great , was the 122nd Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from February 3, 1867 until his death on July 30, 1912. He presided over a time of rapid change in the Empire of Japan, as the nation quickly changed from a feudal state to a capitalist and imperial world power, characterized by Japan industrial revolution.

Prince Mutsuhito was born on November 3, 1852 in a small house on his maternal grandfathers property at the north end of the Gosho. At the time, a birth was believed to be polluting, so imperial princes were not born in the Palace, but usually in a structure, often temporary, near the pregnant womans fathers house. The boys mother, Nakayama Yoshiko was a concubine to his father Emperor Kmei, and was the daughter of the acting major counselor, Nakayama Tadayasu. The young prince was given the name Sachinomiya, or Prince Sachi.

Source: Wikipedia