Uchida Kuichi

Uchida Kuichi (内田 九一, c. 1844 – February 17, 1875) was a pioneering Japanese photographer from Nagasaki.

[3] Having achieved this reputation for excellence, Uchida Kuichi was the only photographer granted a sitting by the Emperor Meiji, who was considered a living deity and rarely seen in public.

The portrait session took place in 1872 on a commission by the Imperial Household Ministry to photograph the Emperor and Empress Haruko in full court dress and everyday robes.

[5] Copies of the official portrait were distributed among foreign heads of state and Japanese regional governmental offices and schools, but their private sale was prohibited.

[7] In 1872 Uchida was commissioned to accompany the emperor on a tour through central Japan and Kyūshū, and to take photographs of the people and places during the journey.

View of Nagasaki Japan, 1872
Portrait of the Emperor Meiji by Uchida, 1873. Albumen silver print