明治天皇東北巡幸と三島,Emperor Meiji’s Tour of Tohoku and Mishima

Emperor Meiji’s Tour of Tohoku and Mishima

During the Boshin War, many Tohoku domains resisted the new government. To strengthen imperial authority, the government had the emperor tour the region. During the imperial tour, Mishima not only guided the emperor but also used the occasion to showcase his accomplishments. To
document these achievements, he commissioned the painter Takahashi Yuichi—best known for his work “Salmon”—as well as the photographer Kikuchi Shingaku.

Together, they produced paintings and photographs of the government district, tunnels, and other modernization projects in Yamagata.Kikuchi created a photo album of 84 photographs. Takahashi created an oil painting titled “A Map of Kuriko Tunnel”. To this day, “A Map of Kuriko Tunnel” remains on display in the emperor’s office. Photography and oil painting were both new art forms at the time, and Kikuchi and Takahashi were pioneers in their respective areas. On display in Bunshokan are their trailblazing works such as Takahashi Yuichi’s “Map of Yamagata Prefectural Office” and on display in this very museum is Kikuchi Shingaku’s “Map of the Prefectural Office Road”.