Emperor Meiji (1852 1912), or Meiji the Great, Emperor of Japan 1867 until his death. 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's industrial revolution. seen here at the head of the Japanese cavalry in China, 1895. (Photo by: Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images).