74-3190: Period of Japanese history (1804–1818) For the embroidery technique, see Bunka shishu . For the 2002 Oakenfold album, see Bunkka . Part of a series on the History of Japan [REDACTED] Shōsōin Periods Paleolithic before 14,000 BC Jōmon 14,000–1000 BC Yayoi 1000 BC – 300 AD Kofun 300–538 AD Asuka 538–710 Nara 710–794 Heian Former Nine Years' War Later Three-Year War Genpei War 794–1185 Kamakura Jōkyū War Mongol invasions Genkō War Kenmu Restoration 1185–1333 Muromachi Nanboku-chō period Sengoku period 1336–1573 Azuchi–Momoyama Nanban trade Imjin War Battle of Sekigahara 1573–1603 Edo (Tokugawa) Tokugawa shogunate Invasion of Ryukyu Siege of Osaka Sakoku Perry Expedition Convention of Kanagawa Bakumatsu Meiji Restoration Boshin War 1603–1868 Meiji Ryūkyū Disposition Invasion of Taiwan (1874) Satsuma Rebellion First Sino-Japanese War Treaty of Shimonoseki Triple Intervention Invasion of Taiwan (1895) Colonization of Taiwan Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War Treaty of Portsmouth Japan–Korea Treaty Colonization of Korea 1868–1912 Taishō World War I Intervention in Siberia Great Kantō earthquake 1912–1926 Shōwa Militarism Financial crisis Nanking incident Mukden Incident Invasion of Manchuria May 15 incident February 26 incident Anti-Comintern Pact Tripartite Pact Second Sino-Japanese War World War II Attack on Pearl Harbor Pacific War Atomic bombings Soviet–Japanese War Surrender of Japan Occupation of Japan Postwar Japan Anpo protests Economic miracle Asset price bubble 1926–1989 Heisei Lost Decades Great Hanshin earthquake Cool Japan Tōhoku earthquake Imperial transition 1989–2019 Reiwa COVID-19 pandemic Abe assassination Noto earthquake 2019–present Topics Capital punishment Currency Earthquakes Economy Era names Education Empire Foreign relations Geography Historiography Religion Buddhism Christianity Islam Judaism Shinto Military Naval Politics Post-war Science and technology Sports World Heritage Sites Glossary History Timeline v t e Bunka ( 文化 , culture )
148-468: A boundary between private and public matters and, thus, demanded loyalty in all spheres of society. Subsequently, any ideological attack, such as a proposal for socialist reforms, was seen as an attack on the very existence of the state. The meaning of the law was gradually stretched to academic spheres. After the passage of the Peace Preservation Law and related legislation, kokutai emerged as
222-539: A complete coup d'état, but it effectively ended rule by political parties in Japan. From 1932 to 1936, the country was governed by admirals. Mounting nationalist sympathies led to chronic instability in government. Moderate policies were difficult to enforce. The crisis culminated on February 26, 1936. In what became known as the February 26 Incident , about 1,500 ultranationalist army troops marched on central Tokyo . Their mission
296-566: A military presence in Manchuria . On September 18, 1931, the Mukden Incident occurred. There was a small explosion on the tracks of a Japanese railway, north of Mukden . Japan invaded Manchuria in the aftermath. The Imperial Japanese Army mobilized the Kwantung Army and attacked Chinese troops. The Minseito government, headed by Hamaguchi's successor Wakatsuki Reijirō , was unable to curb
370-550: A powerful force in society. Mass education and conscription served as a means to indoctrinate the coming generation with "the idea of Japan" as a nation state instead of a series of daimyōs . In this way, loyalty to feudal domains was supplanted with loyalty to the central government. Industrialization and centralization gave the Japanese a strong sense that their country could once more rival and dominate Western powers technologically and socially. Moreover, successful foreign wars gave
444-463: A threat to all Asians and that Asia could only survive by following the Japanese example. Japan had been the only Asian and non-Western power to industrialize itself successfully and rival great Western empires. While largely described by contemporary Western observers as a front for the expansion of the Japanese army, the idea behind the Co-Prosperity Sphere was that Asia would be united against
518-570: Is a historical period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989 . It was preceded by the Taishō era and succeeded by the Heisei era . The pre-1945 and post-war Shōwa periods are almost completely different states: the pre-1945 Shōwa era (1926–1945) concerns the Empire of Japan , and post-1945 Shōwa era (1945–1989) concerns
592-509: Is an issue of fierce debate between Chinese and Japanese historians. By 1939, the Japanese war effort had become a stalemate. The Japanese Army had seized most of the vital cities in China, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, and Wuhan . The Nationalists and the Communists, however, fought on from Chongqing and Yenan , respectively. Negotiations for a German-Japanese alliance began in 1937 with
666-446: Is considered a form of punch needle technique, and the rayon threads used are woven in a chainette format, which, when opened, gives a boucle texture to the yarn. Unlike other embroidery techniques, however, bunka is worked from the front of the fabric rather than the back. Unlike some other forms of embroidery, bunka is fragile and is usually presented as artwork rather than as clothing adornment. Bunka has gained in popularity since
740-755: Is different from Wikidata Articles containing Japanese-language text Bunka shishu Bunka shishu ( 文化刺繍 ) , in English often shortened to bunka , is a form of Japanese embroidery originating in the early 19th century that became more widespread around the turn of the 20th century, before then being introduced to the US after World War II . Bunka artists use a specialized embroidery needle and rayon threads (originally silk) to create very detailed pictures that some liken to oil paintings . Typical subjects include people, living things (traditionally fish), landscapes and traditional Japanese scenes. Bunka
814-474: Is granted an audience with Shōgun Ienari to explain differences between traditional medical knowledge and Western medical knowledge. September 25, 1810 ( Bunka 7, 27th day of the 8thmonth ): Earthquake in northern Honshū (Latitude: 39.900/Longitude: 139.900), 6.6 magnitude on the Surface wave magnitude scale. ...Click link for NOAA/Japan: Significant Earthquake Database December 7, 1812 ( Bunka 9, 4th day of
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#1732855587715888-650: Is pseudonym of Louis-Frédéric Nussbaum, see Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Authority File . ^ Cullen, L.M. (2003). A History of Japan, 1582-1941: Internal and External Worlds , pp. 117, 163. ^ Sugita Genpaku. (1969). Dawn of Western Science in Japan: Rangaku Kotohajime , p. xvi. ^ Online "Significant Earthquake Database" -- U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC) ^ National Digital Archives of Japan, ...see caption describing image of scroll Archived 2008-01-19 at
962-751: The Dutch East Indies ( Indonesia ). Thailand managed to stay independent by becoming a satellite state of Japan. On 13 April 1941, the Soviet–Japanese Neutrality Pact was signed. In December 1941 to May 1942, Japan sank major elements of the American, British and Dutch fleets, captured Hong Kong, Singapore, the Philippines and the Dutch East Indies, and reached the borders of India and Australia. Japan suddenly had achieved its goal of ruling
1036-632: The Great War in France . In the presence of such devastation, I understand the blessing of peace and the necessity of concord among nations. The election of Katō Takaaki as the Prime Minister of Japan continued democratic reforms that had been advocated by influential individuals on the left. This culminated in the passage of universal adult male suffrage in May 1925. General Election Law gave all male subjects over
1110-576: The Imperial General Headquarters tolerated many atrocities against local populations , such as the experimentations of Unit 731 , the sankō sakusen , the use of chemical and biological weapons , and civilian massacres such as those in Nanjing , Singapore and Manila . Some of the atrocities were motivated by racism. For instance, Japanese soldiers were taught to think of captured Chinese as not worthy of mercy. On July 7, 1937, at
1184-553: The Russian Revolution were subsequently crushed and scattered. This was in part due to the Peace Preservation Act, but also due to the general fragmentation of the left. Conservatives forced the passage of the Peace Preservation Law because the party leaders and politicians of the Taishō era had felt that, after World War I , the state was in danger from revolutionary movements. The Japanese state never clearly defined
1258-784: The State of Japan . Before 1945, Japan moved into political totalitarianism, ultranationalism and statism , culminating in Japan's invasion of China in 1937, part of a global period of social upheavals and conflicts such as the Great Depression and the Pacific War . Defeat in the Pacific War brought about radical change in Japan. For the first and only time in its history, Japan was occupied by foreign powers , an American-led occupation which lasted for six years and eight months. Allied occupation brought forth sweeping democratic reforms. It led to
1332-598: The Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers ; he and his staff exerted wide but indirect power, for the decisions were carried out by Japanese officials. A War Crimes Tribunal , similar to that at Nuremberg , was set up in Tokyo. On 3 May 1946, the prosecution began of Japanese military leaders for war crimes. Several prominent members of the Japanese cabinet were executed, most notably former Prime Minister Hideki Tojo . But
1406-8712: The Wayback Machine References [ edit ] Cullen, Louis M. (2003). A History of Japan, 1582–1941: Internal and External Worlds . Cambridge: Cambridge University Press . ISBN 9780521821551 ; ISBN 9780521529181 ; OCLC 50694793 Nussbaum, Louis Frédéric and Käthe Roth. (2005). Japan Encyclopedia . Cambridge: Harvard University Press . ISBN 978-0-674-01753-5 ; OCLC 48943301 Sugita Genpaku. (1930). Dawn of Western Science in Japan ( 蘭學事始 , Rangaku kotohajime ) . Tokyo: Iwanami Shoten. OCLC 9424185 External links [ edit ] National Diet Library, "The Japanese Calendar" -- historical overview plus illustrative images from library's collection National Archives of Japan : Sakuramachiden Gyokozu , scroll depicting Emperor Kōkaku in formal procession, 1817 ( Bunka 14 ). Preceded by Kyōwa ( 享和 ) Era or nengō Bunka ( 文化 ) 1804–1818 Succeeded by Bunsei ( 文政 ) v t e Japanese era names ( nengō ) by period 538–1264 Asuka Heian Heian (cont'd) Heian (cont'd) Heian (cont'd) Heian (cont'd) Kamakura (cont'd) 645–650 Taika 650–654 Hakuchi 686–686 Shuchō 701–704 Taihō 704–708 Keiun 708–715 Wadō Nara 715–717 Reiki 717–724 Yōrō 724–729 Jinki 729–749 Tenpyō 749 Tenpyō-kanpō 749–757 Tenpyō-shōhō 757–765 Tenpyō-hōji 765–767 Tenpyō-jingo 767–770 Jingo-keiun 770–781 Hōki 781–782 Ten'ō 782–806 Enryaku 806–810 Daidō 810–824 Kōnin 824–834 Tenchō 834–848 Jōwa 848–851 Kashō 851–854 Ninju 854–857 Saikō 857–859 Ten'an 859–877 Jōgan 877–885 Gangyō 885–889 Ninna 889–898 Kanpyō 898–901 Shōtai 901–923 Engi 923–931 Enchō 931–938 Jōhei 938–947 Tengyō 947–957 Tenryaku 957–961 Tentoku 961–964 Ōwa 964–968 Kōhō 968–970 Anna 970–973 Tenroku 973–976 Ten'en 976–978 Jōgen 978–983 Tengen 983–985 Eikan 985–987 Kanna 987–988 Eien 988–990 Eiso 990–995 Shōryaku 995–999 Chōtoku 999–1004 Chōhō 1004–1012 Kankō 1012–1017 Chōwa 1017–1021 Kannin 1021–1024 Jian 1024–1028 Manju 1028–1037 Chōgen 1037–1040 Chōryaku 1040–1044 Chōkyū 1044–1046 Kantoku 1046–1053 Eishō 1053–1058 Tengi 1058–1065 Kōhei 1065–1069 Jiryaku 1069–1074 Enkyū 1074–1077 Jōhō 1077–1081 Jōryaku 1081–1084 Eihō 1084–1087 Ōtoku 1087–1094 Kanji 1094–1096 Kahō 1096–1097 Eichō 1097–1099 Jōtoku 1099–1104 Kōwa 1104–1106 Chōji 1106–1108 Kajō 1108–1110 Tennin 1110–1113 Ten'ei 1113–1118 Eikyū 1118–1120 Gen'ei 1120–1124 Hōan 1124–1126 Tenji 1126–1131 Daiji 1131–1132 Tenshō 1132–1135 Chōshō 1135–1141 Hōen 1141–1142 Eiji 1142–1144 Kōji 1144–1145 Ten'yō 1145–1151 Kyūan 1151–1154 Ninpei 1154–1156 Kyūju 1156–1159 Hōgen 1159–1160 Heiji 1160–1161 Eiryaku 1161–1163 Ōhō 1163–1165 Chōkan 1165–1166 Eiman 1166–1169 Nin'an 1169–1171 Kaō 1171–1175 Jōan 1175–1177 Angen 1177–1181 Jishō 1181–1182 Yōwa 1182–1184 Juei 1184–1185 Genryaku Kamakura 1185–1190 Bunji 1190–1199 Kenkyū 1199–1201 Shōji 1201–1204 Kennin 1204–1206 Genkyū 1206–1207 Ken'ei 1207–1211 Jōgen 1211–1213 Kenryaku 1213–1219 Kempo 1219–1222 Jōkyū 1222–1224 Jōō 1224–1225 Gennin 1225–1227 Karoku 1227–1229 Antei 1229–1232 Kangi 1232–1233 Jōei 1233–1234 Tenpuku 1234–1235 Bunryaku 1235–1238 Katei 1238–1239 Ryakunin 1239–1240 En'ō 1240–1243 Ninji 1243–1247 Kangen 1247–1249 Hōji 1249–1256 Kenchō 1256–1257 Kōgen 1257–1259 Shōka 1259–1260 Shōgen 1260–1261 Bun'ō 1261–1264 Kōchō 1264– present Kamakura (cont'd) Nanboku-chō Nanboku-chō Muromachi (cont'd) Momoyama Edo (cont'd) Modern Japan 1264–1275 Bun'ei 1275–1278 Kenji 1278–1288 Kōan 1288–1293 Shōō 1293–1299 Einin 1299–1302 Shōan 1302–1303 Kengen 1303–1306 Kagen 1306–1308 Tokuji 1308–1311 Enkyō 1311–1312 Ōchō 1312–1317 Shōwa 1317–1319 Bunpō 1319–1321 Gen'ō 1321–1324 Genkō 1324–1326 Shōchū 1326–1329 Karyaku 1329–1331 Gentoku 1331–1334 Genkō 1332–1333 Shōkyō Northern Court 1334–1338 Kenmu 1338–1342 Ryakuō 1342–1345 Kōei 1345–1350 Jōwa 1350–1352 Kannō 1352–1356 Bunna 1356–1361 Enbun 1361–1362 Kōan 1362–1368 Jōji 1368–1375 Ōan 1375–1379 Eiwa 1379–1381 Kōryaku 1381–1384 Eitoku 1384–1387 Shitoku 1387–1389 Kakei 1389–1390 Kōō 1390–1394 Meitoku Southern Court 1334–1336 Kenmu 1336–1340 Engen 1340–1346 Kōkoku 1346–1370 Shōhei 1370–1372 Kentoku 1372–1375 Bunchū 1375–1381 Tenju 1381–1384 Kōwa 1384–1392 Genchū Muromachi 1394–1428 Ōei 1428–1429 Shōchō 1429–1441 Eikyō 1441–1444 Kakitsu 1444–1449 Bun'an 1449–1452 Hōtoku 1452–1455 Kyōtoku 1455–1457 Kōshō 1457–1460 Chōroku 1460–1466 Kanshō 1466–1467 Bunshō 1467–1469 Ōnin 1469–1487 Bunmei 1487–1489 Chōkyō 1489–1492 Entoku 1492–1501 Meiō 1501–1521 Bunki 1504–1521 Eishō 1521–1528 Daiei 1528–1532 Kyōroku 1532–1555 Tenbun 1555–1558 Kōji 1558–1570 Eiroku 1570–1573 Genki 1573–1592 Tenshō 1592–1596 Bunroku 1596–1615 Keichō Edo 1615–1624 Genna 1624–1644 Kan'ei 1644–1648 Shōhō 1648–1652 Keian 1652–1655 Jōō 1655–1658 Meireki 1658–1661 Manji 1661–1673 Kanbun 1673–1681 Enpō 1681–1684 Tenna 1684–1688 Jōkyō 1688–1704 Genroku 1704–1711 Hōei 1711–1716 Shōtoku 1716–1736 Kyōhō 1736–1741 Genbun 1741–1744 Kanpō 1744–1748 Enkyō 1748–1751 Kan'en 1751–1764 Hōreki 1764–1772 Meiwa 1772–1781 An'ei 1781–1789 Tenmei 1789–1801 Kansei 1801–1804 Kyōwa 1804–1818 Bunka 1818–1830 Bunsei 1830–1844 Tenpō 1844–1848 Kōka 1848–1854 Kaei 1854–1860 Ansei 1860–1861 Man'en 1861–1864 Bunkyū 1864–1865 Genji 1865–1868 Keiō 1868–1912 Meiji 1912–1926 Taishō 1926–1989 Shōwa 1989–2019 Heisei 2019–present Reiwa Not recognized by
1480-638: The Western powers under the auspices of the Japanese. The idea drew influence in the paternalistic aspects of Confucianism and Koshitsu Shinto . Thus, the main goal of the Sphere was the hakkō ichiu , the unification of the eight corners of the world under the rule ( kōdō ) of the Emperor. The reality during this period differed from the propaganda. Some nationalities and ethnic groups were marginalized, and during rapid military expansion into foreign countries,
1554-560: The economic collapse brought new hardship to the people of Japan. Silk and rice prices plummeted and exports decreased 50%. Unemployment in both the cities and the countryside skyrocketed and social agitation came to a head. Meanwhile, the London Naval Treaty was ratified in 1930. Its purpose was to extend the Washington Treaty System. The Japanese government had desired to raise their ratio to 10:10:7, but this proposal
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#17328555877151628-458: The "crass" materialism of the West. In practice, however, the Japanese installed organizationally-minded bureaucrats and engineers to run their annexed territories, and they believed in ideals of efficiency, modernization, and engineering solutions to social problems. It was fascism based on technology and rejected Western norms of democracy. After 1945, the engineers and bureaucrats took over and turned
1702-630: The 11th month ): Earthquake in Honshū (Latitude: 35.400/Longitude: 139.600), 6.6 magnitude. 1817 ( Bunka 14 ): Emperor Kōkaku travelled in procession to Sento Imperial Palace, a palace of an abdicated emperor. The Sento Palace at that time was called Sakura Machi Palace. It had been built by the Tokugawa Shogunate for former- Emperor Go-Mizunoo . Notes [ edit ] ^ Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). " Bunka " Japan Encyclopedia, p. 91 , p. 91, at Google Books ; n.b., Louis-Frédéric
1776-501: The American demands. ...we cannot let the present situation continue. If we miss the present opportunity to go to war, we will have to submit to American dictation. Therefore, I recognize that it is inevitable that we must decide to start a war against the United States. I will put my trust in what I have been told: namely, that things will go well in the early part of the war; and that although we will experience increasing difficulties as
1850-610: The Americans. Finally, the death agony of the Empire of Japan came in August 1945. On August 6, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima , instantly killing approximately 70,000 people when the attack took place (plus another estimated 130,000 by 1960 due to after-effects). On August 8, the Soviet invasion of Manchuria began. The following day, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki , killing approximately 40,000 people. These attacks with
1924-657: The Emperor Hirohito was neither tried at the Tokyo trials nor dethroned, nor any members of the imperial family . Instead, under the Post-war Constitution , the Japanese Emperor was reduced to a figurehead nominal monarch without divine characteristics and is forbidden to play a role in politics. Douglas MacArthur sought to break the power of the zaibatsu ; Japan was democratized and liberalized along American " New Deal " liberal lines. Parliamentary party politics
1998-648: The Empire of Japan. One solution was war. During the first part of the Shōwa era, racial discrimination against other Asians was habitual in Imperial Japan, having begun with the start of Japanese colonialism. The Shōwa regime thus preached racial superiority and racialist theories, based on sacred nature of the Yamato-damashii . One of Emperor Shōwa's teachers, historian Kurakichi Shiratori, remarked, "Therefore nothing in
2072-572: The Great Powers met to set limits on naval armament. The Five Power Naval Limitation Agreement worked out in Washington limited competition in battleships and aircraft carriers to a ratio of 5:5:3 (in terms of tonnage) for the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan respectively. Japanese ultra-nationalists viewed this as an attempt by Western powers to curb Japanese expansionism in an area of
2146-628: The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. The ideology of Japan's colonial empire, as it expanded dramatically during the war, contained two somewhat contradictory impulses. On the one hand, it preached the unity of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere , a coalition of Asian nations, directed by Japan, against Western imperialism . This approach celebrated the spiritual values of the East in opposition to
2220-762: The Marco Polo Bridge, the Japanese Kwantung army stationed there used explosions heard on the Chinese side of Manchuria as a pretext for invasion. The invasion led to a large-scale war known as the Second Sino-Japanese War approved by the Emperor that was called a "holy war" ( Seisen ) in Imperial propaganda . At the time, China was divided internally between the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which
2294-534: The Nations for his actions. The withdrawal from the League of Nations meant that Japan was politically isolated. Japan had no strong allies and its actions had been internationally condemned , whilst internally popular nationalism was booming. Local leaders, such as mayors, teachers, and Shinto priests were recruited by the various movements to indoctrinate the populace with ultra-nationalist ideals. They had little time for
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2368-748: The Netherlands, threatening to restrict the supply of vital materials to the Japanese war machine, especially oil, steel and money. The Japanese army, after sharp defeats by the Russians in Mongolia , wanted to avoid war with the Soviet Union, even though it would have aided the German war against the USSR . The Emperor became fatalistic about going to war, as the military assumed more and more control. Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe
2442-720: The Northern Court, which retained Gentoku until 1332. Not recognized by the Southern Court. Genchū discontinued upon reunification of the Northern and Southern Courts in 1392 and Meitoku retained until 1394. Retrieved from " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Bunka&oldid=1258755585 " Categories : Japanese eras 1800s in Japan 1810s in Japan 1800s neologisms Hidden categories: Webarchive template wayback links Articles with short description Short description
2516-434: The Philippines, Malaysia , Papua New Guinea , French Indochina , Burma and many Pacific islands . The decisive naval/aerial Battle of Midway took place in early June 1942. That changed the momentum of the war. Japan was put on the defensive as the Americans pursued their policy of island hopping . Tokyo was repeatedly firebombed in 1945 and in the early spring and summer of 1945, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were seized by
2590-488: The Philippines, and 50 percent of military fatalities in China. The aerial bombing of a total of 69 Japanese cities appears to have taken a minimum of 400,000 and possibly closer to 600,000 civilian lives (over 100,000 in Tokyo alone, over 200,000 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, and 80,000–150,000 civilian deaths in the battle of Okinawa). Civilian deaths among settlers who died attempting to return to Japan from Manchuria in
2664-486: The United States and dropped Japanese immigrants to the level of other Asians (who were already excluded). The overwhelming reaction in Japan, both at the highest levels and in mass rallies that reflected angry public opinion, was hostile and sustained. Commentators suggested the opening guns of a race war and called for a new buildup of the Imperial Japanese Armed Forces . The Shōwa financial crisis
2738-425: The advent of numbered kits (similar to paint-by-number ), which provide a step-by-step guide to producing artwork. This article related to art or architecture in Japan is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . This textile arts article is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Sh%C5%8Dwa era The Shōwa era ( 昭和時代 , Shōwa jidai , [ɕoːwadʑidai] )
2812-405: The age of 25 the right to vote, provided they had lived in their electoral districts for at least one year and were not homeless. The electorate thereby nearly quadrupled in size, from 3.3 million to 12.5 million. However the forces of reaction grew more powerful and steadily; after 1925 there was a retreat from reform, liberal policies and democracy. Pressure from the conservative right forced
2886-451: The army's offensive. The Kwantung Army conquered all of Manchuria and set up the puppet state of Manchukuo on March 1, 1932. The last Emperor of China , Puyi , was installed as the puppet ruler of Manchukuo. The Diet, now dominated by army officials, voted to withdraw from the League of Nations . The first seeds of the coming conflict had been sown. Prior to 1868, most Japanese more readily identified with their feudal domain rather than
2960-559: The creation of a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere . Indeed, the Second Sino-Japanese War fueled the need for oil that could be found in the Dutch East Indies . After the Imperial General Headquarters refused to remove its troops from China (excluding Manchukuo ) and French Indochina , U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt announced in July 1941 an oil embargo on Japan. The Imperial Japanese Navy , increasingly threatened by
3034-454: The era name Meiwa ( 明和 ) during the Edo period in the late-18th century. There were two other candidates at the time – Dōwa ( 同和 ) and Genka ( 元化 ). The term could be roughly understood as meaning "enlightened peace" or in some interpretations "radiant Japan". In his enthronement address which was read to the people, the Emperor referenced this era name : I have visited the battlefields of
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3108-620: The focus of the nationalist movement in Japan. Japanese nationalism was buoyed by a romantic concept of Bushidō and driven by a modern concern for rapid industrial development and strategic dominance in East Asia . It saw the Triple Intervention of 1895 as a threat to Japanese success in East Asia and warned that the " ABCD Powers " (America, Britain , China , and the Dutch ), were threatening
3182-510: The formal end of the emperor's status as a demigod and the transformation of Japan from a form of mixed constitutional and absolute monarchy to a constitutional monarchy and parliamentary system with a liberal democracy . In 1952, with the Treaty of San Francisco , Japan became a sovereign state again. The postwar Shōwa period was characterized by the Japanese economic miracle . The Shōwa era
3256-589: The globe over which they had no interest. However, those in power in Japan readily agreed to the disarmament, realizing that the global taste for war had been soured after the First World War and knowing that, the ratio was sufficient to maintain hegemony in the Pacific. In 1924, however, friendly U.S.–Japanese relations were torpedoed by the Immigration Act of 1924 . The act closed off Japanese immigration to
3330-418: The idea of "Japan" as a whole. When the Tokugawa shogunate was overthrown, the leaders of the revolt, Satsuma and Chōshū , were ideologically opposed to the house of Tokugawa since the Battle of Sekigahara . The Meiji era changed all of that. With the introduction of mass education , conscription , industrialization , centralization , and successful foreign wars, Japanese nationalism began to foment as
3404-431: The loss of its oil supplies, insisted on a decision, warning the alternatives were a high risk war, that Japan might lose, or a certain descent into third class status and a loss of China and Manchuria. Officially the Emperor made the decision, but he was told by a key civilian official on 5 November 1941: it is impossible, from the standpoint of our domestic political situation and of our self-preservation, to accept all of
3478-485: The new atomic weapons were a surprise. Japan lacked any atomic bomb technology and could not counter it. The government of the Empire of Japan (Prime Minister Kantarō Suzuki ) surrendered on August 14. The official surrender ceremony was held on September 2. Total Japanese military fatalities between 1937 and 1945 were 2.1 million; most came in the last year of the war. Starvation or malnutrition-related illness accounted for roughly 80 percent of Japanese military deaths in
3552-399: The next six months, the Japanese had the initiative and went on the offensive. Hong Kong was overrun on December 8, 1941. By the summer of 1942, the Japanese had conquered Burma , Siam , the Dutch East Indies , and the Philippines . The Empire of Japan was one of the largest in history. In 1942 the Empire of Japan was at its greatest extent with colonies in Manchuria, China, Indonesia ,
3626-417: The onset of hostilities between Japan and China. On September 27, 1940, the Tripartite Pact was signed, creating the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis . The alliance was shallow, with very little coordination or mutual help until the last two years of the war, when it was too late to make much difference. By 1938, the United States increasingly was committed to supporting China and, with the cooperation of Britain and
3700-438: The passage of the Peace Preservation Law of 1925 along with other anti- left-wing legislation, only ten days before the passage of universal manhood suffrage. The Peace Preservation Act curtailed activism on the left—which was not extensive—and the screws were steadily tightened. It outlawed groups that sought to alter the system of government or to abolish private ownership. The small leftist movements that had been galvanized by
3774-513: The populace a sense of martial pride in their country. The rise of Japanese nationalism paralleled the growth of nationalism within the West. Certain conservatives such as Gondō Seikei and Asahi Heigo saw the rapid industrialization of Japan as something that had to be tempered. During the Meiji era, such nationalists railed against the unequal treaties , but in the years following the First World War , Western criticism of Japanese imperial ambitions and restrictions on Japanese immigration changed
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#17328555877153848-451: The pragmatic ideas of the business elite and party politicians. Their loyalty lay to the Emperor and the military. In March 1932 the " League of Blood " assassination plot and the chaos surrounding the trial of its conspirators further eroded the rule of democratic law in Shōwa Japan. In May of the same year a group of right-wing Army and Navy officers succeeded in assassinating the Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi . The plot fell short of staging
3922-590: The superior Japanese army. By October, Chiang Kai-shek 's best armies had been defeated at Shanghai . By the end of the year, the Chinese capital at Nanjing had also been seized . The use of brutal scorched earth tactics by both sides, the Chinese as in 1938 Yellow River flood and later by the Japanese with the Three Alls Policy , "kill all, burn all, loot all", initiated in 1940, claimed millions of lives. The Chinese nationalists resorted to massive civilian guerrilla tactics, which fatigued and frustrated Japanese forces. Countless Chinese civilians were executed on
3996-462: The suspicion of being resistance fighters. Japanese war crimes at Nanking and other sites in China and Manchukuo have been well documented. On December 13, 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army , following the capture of Nanjing, began the Nanjing Massacre (sometimes called the "Rape of Nanking"), which resulted in a massive number of civilian deaths including infants and elderly, and the large-scale rape of Chinese women. The exact number of casualties
4070-410: The symbol of the state. Kokutai was seen as the barrier against communist and socialist movements in Japan. With the challenge of the Great Depression on the horizon, this would be the death knell for parliamentary democracy in Japan. After World War I , the Western Powers, influenced by Wilsonian ideology, attempted an effort at general disarmament. At the Washington Naval Conference of 1921–1922,
4144-417: The tankers taking oil to Japan were sunk by American submarines, so Japan's oil shortage became increasingly acute. Japan sponsored an Indonesian nationalist movement under Sukarno . Sukarno finally came to power in the late 1940s after several years of battling the Dutch. With the defeat of the Empire of Japan , the Allied Powers dissolved it and placed the territories under occupation. The Soviet Union
4218-399: The war progresses, there is some prospect of success. With the Emperor's approval, Imperial General Headquarters launched the Greater East Asia War . It began with a surprise attack on the U.S. naval base in Hawaii at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Japan declared war to the United States, Dutch and British. This marked the start of the Pacific War theatre of World War II . For
4292-448: The wartime techno-fascism into entrepreneurial management skills. The Japanese government established puppet regimes in Manchuria and China; they were dismantled at the end of the war. The Army operated ruthless governments in most of the conquered areas but paid more favorable attention to the Dutch East Indies. The main goal was to obtain oil. The Dutch sabotaged their oil wells but the Japanese were able to reopen them. However most of
4366-409: The winter of 1945 were probably around 100,000. Japan launched multiple attacks in East Asia. In 1937, the Japanese Army invaded and captured most of the coastal Chinese cities such as Shanghai. On 22 September 1940, the Japanese invasion of French Indochina began. Japan took over French Indochina ( Vietnam , Laos and Cambodia ), British Malaya ( Brunei , Malaysia and Singapore ) as well as
4440-421: The world compares to the divine nature (shinsei) of the imperial house and likewise the majesty of our national polity ( kokutai ). Here is one great reason for Japan's superiority." The Anti-Comintern Pact brought Nazi ideologues to Japan who attempted but ultimately failed to inject Nazi-style anti-Semitic arguments into mainstream public discussion. Where the government presented the popular image of Jews, it
4514-462: The world." Imperial Japanese Army General Kiichiro Higuchi and Colonel Norihiro Yasue allowed 20,000 Jews to enter Manchukuo in 1938. Higuchi and Yasue were well regarded for their actions and were subsequently invited to the independence ceremonies of the State of Israel. Diplomat Chiune Sugihara wrote travel visas for over 6,000 Lithuanian Jews to flee the German occupation and travel to Japan. In 1985, Israel honored him as Righteous Among
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#17328555877154588-410: Was a Japanese era name ( 年号 , nengō , "year name") after Kyōwa and before Bunsei . The period spanned the years from January 1804 to April 1818. The reigning emperors were Kōkaku -tennō ( 光格天皇 ) and Ninkō -Tennō ( 仁孝天皇 ) . Change of era [ edit ] February 11, 1804 ( Bunka gannen ( 文化元年 ) ): The new era name of Bunka ( meaning "Culture" or "Civilization")
4662-402: Was a financial panic in 1927, during the first year of the reign of Emperor Hirohito. It was a precursor of the Great Depression . It brought down the government of Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijirō and led to the domination of the zaibatsu over the Japanese banking industry . From 1928 to 1932, a domestic crisis could no longer be avoided. As the left was vigorously put down by the state,
4736-504: Was created to mark the start of a new 60-year cycle of the Heavenly Stem and Earthly Branch system of the Chinese calendar which was on New Year's Day, the new moon day of 2 November 1804. The previous era ended and a new one commenced in Kyōwa 4. Events of the Bunka era [ edit ] 1804 ( Bunka 1 ): Daigaku-no-kami Hayashi Jussai (1768–1841) explained the shogunate foreign policy to Emperor Kōkaku in Kyoto. June 1805 ( Bunka 2 ): Genpaku Sugita (1733–1817)
4810-420: Was far ahead of China in this respect, and was also in command of the world's third largest navy with 2,700 watercraft at its disposal. By the end of July 1937, the Japanese had slaughtered the elite 29th Army at Kupeikou and soon captured Beijing . From there, the Japanese advanced down south through the major railway lines (Peiping-Suiyan, Peiping-Hankow, and Tientsin-Pukow). These were easily conquered by
4884-412: Was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor . Emperor Shōwa was both the longest-lived and longest-reigning historical Japanese emperor as well as the longest-reigning monarch in the world at the time. On 7 January 1989, Crown Prince Akihito succeeded to the Chrysanthemum Throne upon the death of his father, Emperor Shōwa, which marked the start of the Heisei era . Emperor Hirohito
4958-433: Was made responsible for North Korea , and annexed the Kuril Islands and the southern portion of the island of Sakhalin . The United States took responsibility for the rest of Japan's possessions in Oceania and took over South Korea . China, meanwhile, plunged back into its civil war , with the Communists in control by 1949. General Douglas MacArthur , from the US, was put in charge of the Allied Occupation of Japan as
5032-422: Was not so much to persecute but to strengthen domestic ideological uniformity. The anti-Semitic policies of Adolf Hitler 's Nazi Germany were refused when foreign minister of Japan Yōsuke Matsuoka stated that: "Nowhere have I promised that we would carry out his anti-Semitic policies in Japan. This is not simply my personal opinion, it is the opinion of Japan, and I have no compunction about announcing it to
5106-440: Was replaced by the war cabinet of General Hideki Tojo (1884–1948), who demanded war. Tōjō had his way and the attack was made on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, as well as British and Dutch strong points. The main American battle fleet was disabled, and in the next 90 days Japan made remarkable advances including the Dutch East Indies, the Philippines, Malaya and Singapore. The quagmire in China did not stall imperial ambitions for
5180-410: Was served by total of 33 prime ministers , beginning with Wakatsuki Reijiro and ending with Noboru Takeshita . The two kanji characters in Shōwa ( 昭和 ) were from a passage of the Chinese Book of Documents : 百姓昭明，協和萬邦 (Translated: "[T]he people (of his domain), ... all became brightly intelligent. (Finally), he united and harmonized the myriad states.") From this same quotation, Japan also adopted
5254-439: Was shot on November 14, 1930, by an ultranationalist and died in 1931. By this time, the civilian government had lost control of the populace. A New York Times correspondent called Japan a country ruled by "government by assassination". The army, moving independently of the proper government of Japan, took the opportunity to invade Manchuria in the summer of 1931. Since the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Japan had maintained
5328-557: Was swiftly countered by the United States . Thanks to back-room dealing and other intrigues, though, Japan walked away with a 5:4 advantage in heavy cruisers, but this small gesture would not satisfy the populace of Japan, which was gradually falling under the spell of the various ultra-nationalist groups spawning throughout the country. As a result of his failings regarding the London Naval Treaty, Prime Minister Hamaguchi Osachi
5402-428: Was to assassinate the government and promote a "Shōwa Restoration". Prime Minister Okada survived the attempted coup by hiding in a storage shed in his house, but the coup only ended when the Emperor personally ordered an end to the bloodshed. Within the state, the idea of a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere began to foment. The nationalists believed that the "ABCD powers" (Americans, British, Chinese, Dutch) were
5476-508: Was under the leadership of Mao Zedong , and the Nationalist government of China, the Kuomintang (KMT), which was under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek . The years of 1937–38 were a time of rapid and remarkable success by the Japanese, who had a number of advantages over the Chinese army. While the Japanese army possessed a smaller force of armour and artillery than many Western powers, it
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