During the Meiji Era (1868-1912), and the early 20th century, Japan went through major cultural and political changes as it opened to the West and sought to become a dominant power on the world stage. It was a time of rapid modernization, as society transformed away from a feudal system based on samurai culture, and instead drew on Western models with a new imperial government. Old social classes were abolished, the army was reformed, a navy was created, and industries adopted emerging modern technologies – including those of modern warfare.

The artistic traditions of Japan also saw major changes during this time, as the introduction of foreign techniques for print production and photography was nearly ruinous to the once vibrant woodblock print industry. It was Japan’s desire to simultaneously depict and promote its military ambitions and technological advancements in a way that appealed to the nostalgia for “old Japan” that helped to revive productivity in the woodblock print market during this time.

The first work in this viewing room depicts a battle from the Satsuma Rebellion (Jan 1877 – Sept 1877), a revolt of disaffected samurai against the newly formed imperial government, in which the samurai warriors were decisively crushed. Following works depict battles from two major international wars that took place during the Meiji Era; the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) between Japan and China, and the Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) between Japan and Russia. The final two works present patriotic and nationalistic depictions of soldiers from the 1930s as Japan sought to solve its economic problems caused by the Great Depression though military expansion.