Victory Arch, Shimbashi, c. 1904-1905. Victory over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War was a pinnacle moment for the Meiji government and its modern army and navy, and was marked with many celebrations, grand parades, and the construction of triumphal arches across Japan.

See also:
Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905)

Victory Arch, Nihonbashi, c. 1904-1905.

“During a relatively short but bloody land and naval campaign between February 1904 and September 1905, Japanese forces proved victorious, although at a great cost in terms of lives and economic hardship. The Russo-Japanese War has been called the first major international conflict of the [twentieth] century. As well as gaining territory, Japan now became one of the great powers.

“… At the height of Western imperialism, Japan’s victory against Russia had a profound effect on nationalists living under colonial rule. In his memoirs the future Indian Prime Minister Jaharwal Nehru recalled his excitement at a rising Asian state defeating a major European power. The Indian Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore wrote a Japanese-style poem to celebrate the victory. In the Islamic world Japan was seen as a role model for those seeking independence as well as religious reform and revival.”

– Asian Treasures: Gems of the Written Word, National Library of Australia, 2011