About This Print
Nobukazu has depicted the Emperor's arrival at the First National Diet Building on November 29, 1890. For another illustration of this scene, with a less realistically rendered diet building, see Illustration of [Emperor at] National Diet Building by Kojima Shōgetsu (active 1870–1900). And for another print by Nobukazu picturing the second National Diet Building see Illustration of His Majesty the Commander-in-Chief's Triumphal Return to Reconstructed Diet Building.Account of Emperor's November 29, 1890 Opening of Diet
Source: Emperor of Japan: Meiji and His World, 1852-1912, Donald Keene, Columbia University Press, 2002, p. 441.On November 29 the ceremonies of thelong-awaited opening of the Diet took place. Thatmorning the emperor left the palace at 10:30 and proceeded toward the House ofPeers. He was accompanied by Prince Taruhito, Interior Minister SanjoSanetomi, Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo, President of the Privy Council OkiTakato, and various high officials. On reaching the Diet building, theemperor was met by other dignitaries. The members of both Houses werealready assembled for the ceremony, as were the ministers and other officers ofthe different foreign legations, officials personally appointed by the emperor,men decorated with first-class orders, and specially invited guests. Theemperor appeared in the Hall of Ceremonies, ushered in by the grand master ofceremonies. Chamberlains bearing the sacred sword and jewel formed a linethat was joined by princes of the blood and personal attendants of theemperor. The emperor seated himself on the throne, whereupon all presentbowed deeply. The prime minister came forward to offer the text of therescript, and the emperor read it aloud.
The rescript expressed the emperor'ssatisfaction with the progress toward establishing institutions of governmentduring the twenty or so years since he ascended the throne. He hoped thatthis progress would result in making known abroad the glory of the country andthe loyalty and bravery of its people. He was pleased that friendlyrelations had been secured with foreign countries and hoped that trade would bebroadened and would raise the nation's level of prosperity. He also hopedthat relations with countries with which Japan had concluded treaties would beever more cordial.
The Diet Building
Source: Meiji Revisited The Sites of Victorian Japan, Dallas Finn, Weather Hill, Inc. 1995, p. 99[I]n order to have something ready for the Diet’s inaugural session after the summer elections in 1890, [the German architect] Adolph Stegmueller from Ende-Boeckmann designed a temporary building of gray-painted German clapboards in Kasumigaseki, on the spot where the Ministry of International Trade and Industry [now the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry] stands today.
Quickly and cheaply built, the first Diet had a large chamber at either end, one for the representatives and another, with an imperial dais and throne, for the peers. Like the new palace, it had electric lights, reportedly the reason that on a windy night the following January, the Diet burned to the ground. The Imperial Household Ministry immediately turned off the electricity in the palace. The Germans were quick to point out the wiring had been American, and the Japanese, not they, had installed it.
Source: Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport
Illustration of the [Emperor at the] National Diet Building, 1890 On November 29, 1890 the ceremonies for the long-awaited opening of the 1st Imperial Diet took place. That morning the emperor left the palace at 10:30 and proceeded toward the House of Peers. He was accompanied by Prince Taruhito, Interior Minister Sanjo Sanetomi, Prime Minister Yamagata Aritomo, President of the Privy Council Oki Takato, and various high officials. On reaching the Diet building, the emperor was met by other dignitaries.There are no cartouches calling out the personalities in this print, leaving the public to put names with the faces, perhaps mapping the faces to newspaper reports of the ceremonies.
Print Details
| IHL Catalog | #1174 |
| Title or Description | Illustration of the National Diet Building [Meiji Emperor arriving at the first National Diet building] 國會議事堂圖 [国会議事堂之図] kokkai gijidō no zu |
| Artist | Watanabe Nobukazu (1872-1944) |
| Signature | Yōsai Nobukazu hitsu 楊斎延一 筆 |
| Seal | none |
| Publication Date | 明治年廿? likely 1890 (date is partially obliterated, see Publisher below) |
| Publisher |  Takekawa Unokichi 武川卯之吉 [Marks: pub. ref. 522; seal not shown] |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | good - three separate full-size unbacked panels; minor soiling and rubbing |
| Genre | ukiyo-e; kaika-e |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | vertical oban triptych |
| H x W Paper | R: 14 5/8 x 9 3/4 in. (36.5 x 24.8 cm); C: 14 5/8 x 9 7/8 in. (36.5 x 25.1 cm); L: 14 3/8 x 9 3/16 in. (36.5 x 23.3 cm) |
| H x W Image | R: 14 1/8 x 9 3/8 in. (35.9 x 23.8 cm ); C: 14 1/8 x 9 7/16 in. (35.9 x 24 cm); L: 14 1/8 x 9 3/8 in. (35.9 x 23.8 cm) |
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