Great Empire of Japan 大日本帝国 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Motto 五箇条の御誓文 "Charter Oath" (The Oath in Five Articles) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Anthem Kimigayo | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Capital | Tokyo | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Languages | Japanese | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Religion | None (de jure) Shintoism (de facto) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Government | Daijō-kan (1868–1885) Constitutional monarchy (1890–1943) Single-party state (1940–1943) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Emperor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | 1868 - 1912 | Meiji (Mutsuhito) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | 1912 - 26 | Taishō (Yoshihito) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | 1926 - 43 | Shōwa (Hirohito) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Prime Minister | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | 1885 - 88 | Itō Hirobumi (first) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | 1941 - 43 | Hideki Tōjō (last) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Legislature | Imperial Diet | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Upper house | House of Peers | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Lower house | House of Representatives | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Historical era | Meiji, Taishō, Shōwa | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Meiji Restoration | January 3rd, 1868 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Constitution adopted | November 29th, 1890 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Russo-Japanese War | February 10th, 1904 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Pacific War | 1941 - 43 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Surrender of Japan | May 17th, 1943 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Tokyo Conference | May 20th - June 3rd, 1943 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
- | Partition of Japan | June 10th, 1943 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Currency | Japanese yen, Korean yen, Taiwanese yen, Japanese military yen | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Today part of | Yaponiya Oblast China Korea Honshu Territory Kyushu-Shikoku |
The Empire of Japan (大日本帝国/大日本帝國 Dai Nippon Teikoku, literally "Great Japanese Empire") was a parliamentary constitutional monarchy, empire and world power that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868 to the enactment of the 1943 Tokyo Accords, which partitioned the Japanese home islands into 3 occupation zones, on June 10th, 1943.
Imperial Japan's rapid industrialisation and militarization under the slogan Fukoku Kyōhei (富国強兵, "Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Armed forces") led to its emergence as a world power, eventually culminating in its membership in the Axis alliance and the attempted conquest of a large part of the Asia-Pacific region.
Japan managed to annex large portions of China before its fortunes turned in the Philippines Campaign, when American forces decisively forced the Japanese out. Americans, Australians, British, French armies all battled the Japanese up the South-east Asian peninsula and back into China, whereupon the Chinese joined the fight. After liberating China from Japanese rule, the Americans and Australians entered Japan, competing with the Soviet Union to reach Tokyo. The Japanese surrendered to the Americans and Australians on 17th May 1943, but never formally surrendered to the Soviets. Japan was partitioned into three occupation zones administered by the United States, Australia and the Soviet Union.
The Emperors during this time, which spanned the entire Meiji and Taishō, and the lesser part of the Shōwa eras, are now known in Japan by their posthumous names, which coincide with those era names: Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito), Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito), and Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito).
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