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.