In a novel depicting the last days of the Meiji Restoration in Japan, Emperor Meiji is more than just a man. He embodies the historical moment to such an extent that his life and death give this period in Japanese history its name. The Meiji era involved the move away from traditional, rural practices toward a more urbanized and modern period in Japan. This transition between The City and the Countryside is explored in the novel at a moment when men like the narrator were leaving the old countryside behind in favor of the new and exciting city, just as Sensei did before. As the reigning monarch, the Emperor embodies the nation’s culture and ideals as much as any individual possibly could. As such, his death is symbolically significant in that a new person will be appointed as the nation’s figurehead, and with the change in individual comes a change in ideals.

The characters’ relationship with the Emperor symbolizes the desire to emotionally connect with significant cultural figures. The narrator’s father becomes ill, and as he lays dying, he is desperate to relate his experiences to those of the dying Emperor.