(Um-no-hi) The Japanese celebrate the third Monday of each July to commemorate the return of Emperor Meiji from a trip to Hokkaido in 1876. Meiji (“enlightened rule”) ascended the throne in 1867 when he was 14 and saw the fall of the Shogun the following year.

I’m not sure what was so significant about 1876 other than this was the year that the Samurai were forced to convert their stipends to government bonds (money payments rather than rice), they could no longer wear their swords and they cut off their “top-knot” hairdo. These were not exactly “marine” related events. Perhaps the Emperor’s visit (by boat) also reinforced an end to the Utari (and Ezo) independence movements — submission of the local identity and autonomy of the different regions to a Japanese national character under the Emperor.

This period is definitely an interesting study of regulation and building a common-purpose among competing (if not warring) private barrons and their industries.