Emperor Kōmei in the context of "Kaei"

Mutsuhito (睦仁; 3 November 1852 – 29 July 1912), posthumously honored as Emperor Meiji (明治天皇, Meiji Tennō), was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession, reigning from 1867 until his death in 1912. His reign is associated with the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ended the Tokugawa shogunate and began rapid changes that transformed Japan from an isolationist, feudal state to an industrialized world power. Emperor Meiji was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan, and presided over the Meiji era.

At the time of Mutsuhito's birth, Japan was a feudal and pre-industrial country dominated by the isolationist Tokugawa shogunate and the daimyō subject to it, who ruled over Japan's 270 decentralized domains. The opening of Japan to the West from 1854 fueled domestic demands for modernization, and when Mutsuhito became emperor after the death of his father Emperor Kōmei in 1867, it triggered the Boshin War, in which samurai (mostly from the Chōshū and Satsuma Domains) defeated the shogunate and restored power in his name. Documents issued during his reign include the Charter Oath of 1868, Meiji Constitution of 1889, Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors of 1882, and Imperial Rescript on Education of 1890, in which he was advised by a group of oligarchs known as the genrō. Other major events which occurred during his reign include the establishment of the Cabinet in 1885, Privy Council in 1888, Imperial Diet in 1890, and military victories over China in the First Sino-Japanese War and over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War. Taiwan and Korea were annexed in 1895 and 1910, respectively. Emperor Meiji died in 1912, and was succeeded by his eldest son, Yoshihito.

The order to expel barbarians (攘夷勅命 or 攘夷実行の勅命, jōi chokumei or jōi jikkō no chokumei) was an edict issued by the Japanese Emperor Kōmei in 1863 against the Westernization of Japan following the opening of the country by Commodore Matthew Perry in 1854.

Keiō (慶応; historically 慶應) was a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; literally "year name") after Genji and before Meiji. The period spanned the years from May 1865 to October 1868. The reigning emperors were Kōmei-tennō (孝明天皇) and Meiji-tennō (明治天皇).

Genji (元治) is a Japanese era name (年号, nengō; lit. "year name") after Bunkyū and before Keiō. This period spanned only slightly more than a single year from March 27, 1864 until May 1, 1865. The reigning emperor was Kōmei-tennō (孝明天皇).

The new era name was derived from the I Ching.

Iwakura Tomomi (岩倉 具視; October 26, 1825 – July 20, 1883) was a Japanese statesman during the Bakumatsu and Meiji period. He was one of the leading figures of the Meiji Restoration, which saw the overthrow of the Tokugawa shogunate, the restoration of Japan's monarchy, and the abolition of feudalism, the domain system, and the samurai class.

Born to a lesser noble family, he was adopted by leading court noble Tomoyasu Iwakura (岩倉 具康) in 1838. In 1854, he became Imperial Chamberlain. Intending to bridge the divide between the shogunate and the imperial court, Iwakura openly supported marriage between Tokugawa Iemochi and Emperor Komei’s younger sister Princess Kazunomiya. This earned him derision as a shogunate supporter and in 1862, he was exiled. Iwakura returned to the court in 1867. He became the liaison between the court and the anti-Tokugawa movement and played a central role in the new Meiji government. He successfully opposed aggressive policies in Korea in the crisis of 1873, and was nearly assassinated by his enemies.