The Meiji period is the era in Japanese history from 1868 to 1912, during which Japan underwent far-reaching political, economic, and social changes following the Meiji Restoration. Japan sent several high-ranking delegations abroad and invited foreign advisors, including educators, engineers, and scientists, to assist Japan in adopting Western technology. This period marked Japan’s transition from a feudal society to a modern, industrialized nation, establishing it as a major world power.

In the 1860s and 70s woodblock prints were exported to Europe in quantity, and European artists like Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Claude Monet, and Vincent van Gogh began to collect them. The popularity of these prints in Europe was part of the broader phenomenon of japonisme—a term coined in 1872 by a French art critic to describe the craze for all things Japanese. The 1870s also saw a new painting style in Japan that embraced western ideas, materials and techniques. It was known as yōga (洋画 , “Western-style painting”). Web resources here and here.

Outer kimono (uchikake). Satin silk with appliqué and embroidery in silk and metal-wrapped threads. Meiji period. Ca. 1870–1890. Victoria and Albert Museum, London.