Meiji Tenno portrays the buildup to the Russo-Japan War. In addition to showing the political events that led to war, it also shows the era from the story of a farm family in rural Japan that sends their son off to war. As such, it could be considered an anti-war movie, showing how, while war is devised by governments, the people do not really understand what war is, and its combatants often do not know what they are fighting for.

Kanjūrō Arashi
as Emperor Meiji

Kusuo Abe
as Hirobumi Itō

Minoru Takada
as Aritomo Yamagata

Shin Takemura
as

Susumu Fujita
as Kaoru Inoue

Yōji Misaki
as Prime Minister Katsura

Ureo Egawa
as Navy Minister Yamamoto

Tsunemi Hirose
as War Minister Terauchi

Fumio Hara
as Foreign Minister Komura

Hiroaki Kurahashi
as Finance Minister Sone