Empire of Japan
大日本帝國
Dai Nippon Teikoku
Empire of Great Japan | | Imperial Japan after its territorial acquisitions during World War II.|- | Official language | Japanese |
| Capital | Tokyo |
| Area | 7.4 million square km (at its peak) |
| Population | (add) |
| Government | Absolute Monarchy before 1889, constitutional monarchy after 1889 tending towards military dictatorship after c. 1930. |
| Emperor (Head of State) and Head of Government(A point of time: the Constitutional Collapse) |
* Emperor Hirohito (1926-1989)
* Prime Minister Shigeru Yoshida (May 22, 1946 to May 24, 1947) |
| Predecessor | Tokugawa shogunate |
| Creation |
* Meiji RestorationNovember 9, 1867, Return of power to the Empire.August 29, 1871, Abolition of the han system.November 29, 1890, effect the Meiji Constitution (Constitutional Creation). |
Regime change
* September 2, 1945, with the surrender of WWII
* May 3, 1947, with the amended to the New Constitution (constitutional Collapse)| Succeeding Regime | Japan (Regime under the Constitution of Japan) | | Currency | Yen, Japanese military yen | | National anthem | Kimi ga yo | | National motto' | National Wealth and Military Strength.'' (Fukoku Kyohei) | |
The
Empire of Japan, also known as
Imperial Japan, Japanese Empire, or
Empire of Great Japan (
: 大日本帝國;
Shinjitai: 大日本帝国; pronounced
Dai Nippon Teikoku) refers to
Japan from
November 9,
1867 to
September 2,
1945.
Constitutionally, it refers to the period of
November 29,
1890, to
May 3,
1947 under the
1889 Constitution of the Empire of Japan that was promulgated as part of massive political reforms after the
Meiji Restoration with restoration of power to the
Emperor as
head of state and
head of government from
Tokugawa shogunate. In terms of real-politik, however, the empire is best understood as existing from 1871 when the Meiji government first turned its attention to Japan's borders until the promulgation of the American authored post-war constitution in May, 1947. It covers the eras that are known as the
Meiji period (1867-1912), the
Taisho period (1912-1926), and the first 21 years of the
Showa period (1926-1989) under
Emperor Hirohito.
Politically, it covers the Return of power to the
Empire (大"奉還;
Tai-sei Hou-kan) on
November 9,
1867, or the
Abolition of the han system (廃藩置県;
Hai-han Chi-ken) on
July 14,
1871, through the expansion of Japan from the Pacific to the
Indian Ocean during rapid
industrialization and
militarization of Japan, up until the formal surrender in
September 2,
1945, when the
Instrument of Surrender was signed immediately after
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki by the
United States.
It was a signatory member of the
Tripartite Pact between
Nazi Germany and
Fascist Italy as part of the
Axis Powers of the
Second World War that was fought against the
Allies.
The Japanese Empire and
Imperial Japan are commonly known and used, referring to the same entity, though the literal translation of the title in Japanese is the
Empire of Great Japan. It was a major
Axis Power and a key
ally of
Nazi Germany's aggressive global policies. Emperor
Hirohito was the
Emperor of Japan during this period of Japanese history, though the emperor took on the role of a
constitutional monarch after Japan's defeat in World War II. Japan's main military branches were the
Imperial Japanese Army and the
Imperial Japanese Navy and both were considered one of the most powerful in the world prior to the Second World War. During this period in Japan, there was rapid
industrialization and increase of military resources. One example is the nationalized
navy that was able to defeat both
Russia and
China in territorial wars. After this rapid industralization before the 1940s, Japan adopted a policy of outward expansion to acquire foreign colonies and resources, eyeing
China,
Korea and
Southeast Asia.
The country had been called the Empire of Japan since the feudal anti-shogunate domains,
Satsuma and
Chōshū, formed the base of their new government during the
Meiji Restoration, with the intention of making it an empire.
The founding of Empire of Japan (Dai Nippon Teikoku) has its roots in the
Meiji Restoration, a political movement with whole restructuring of politics of Japan. During this time Togukawa shogunate was in full control of the Japanese island. During the Togukawa era, Japan was officially closed from the outside world that resulted in the development and flourishment of the
Japanese culture and
arts. During these times
Western powers were increasingly becoming powerful militarily and economically with
colonies in many different parts of the world, that includes the control of
Southeast Asian nations by the
US,
UK,
Germany, and
Netherlands. Because of powerful military and influence, Japan was for the first time officially had to bow down to the United States with the
Convention of Kanagawa, a gun boat based diplomacy for the purpose of putting unequal trade between Japan and the United States with the benefit to the US. With the realization of weakness among the people of Japan and the revolutionaries, along with writers such as
Fukuzawa Yukichi, Japan learned and planned to become a powerful country, so that it can be independent and powerful similar to many Western powers. This led to the Meiji Restoration of frantic, aggressive and fast industrialization by sending envoys, students and observers to Western nations by Japan to build a powerful country. Eventually military was seen as the only tool for the prosperity and stability of Japan from Western powers and their military and the use of it to colonize other countries in east and southeast Asia. Japan had consulted with many European leader, especially the
Chancellor of Germany at the time that suggested, if country was to become independent and powerful, it needs to have a powerful
military. Meiji Restoration can also be described as a
revolution.
Practicing of realpolitik
Prominent writers such as
Fukuzawa Yukichi were instrumental for encouraging Japan to practice
realpolitik and embrace change with strictly based on practical needs without sentimental and ideological consideration through
Westernization to compete with other
Western countries using
Westernization, stating that any
civilization is dependent on
time and
circumstance and should adapt as necessary when the time changes and when there is more benefits to be gained. Fukuzawa wrote that "Civilization is like the measles. It's better than measles that it can bring interests." He also advocated people of Japan to "taste the fruits of civilization," that is Western and therefore embrace change. His philosophy also advocated
individualism, education, and self-strength.
Constitution
Text to the
1889 Constitution of the Empire of JapanImperial Japan was founded after the
1889 signing of
Constitution of the Empire of Japan that formalized many of the political structure of Imperial Japan and gave many responsibilities and control to the Emperor.
Although it was in the
1889 Constitution of the Empire of Japan that the title Empire of Japan was officially used for the first time, it was not until
1936 that the proper official title of the country was legalized. Meanwhile, the names
"Nippon" (日本; Japan),
"Dai-Nippon" (大日本; Great Japan),
"Dai-Nippon/-Nihon Koku" (大日本国; Nation of Great Japan),
"Nihon Teikoku" (日本帝国; Empire of Japan) were all used officially.
In
1946, a year after the close of the war, Japan was restructured, and the country's title was once again revised, to "
The State of Japan" (日本国;
Nihon Koku) in the draft in the 1946
Constitution of Japan.
Militarization and colonialism
Military and colonialism went hand in hand with Japan's desire to conquer its neighbors for the
natural resources that it has to sustain its militarization and development, since Japan has very little natural resources. Main conquest was the less industrialized
Korea and
China.
Before
World War II, Japan built an extensive empire that included
Taiwan,
Korea,
Manchuria, and parts of
northern China. The Japanese regarded this sphere of influence as a political and economic necessity, preventing foreign states from strangling Japan by blocking its access to raw materials and crucial sea-lanes. Japan's large
military force was regarded as essential to the empire's
defense and
prosperity through obtaining
natural resources since Japan has very little natural resources to sustain growth.
Rapid growth and structural change characterized Japan's two periods of economic development since 1868. In the first period, the economy grew only moderately at first and relied heavily on traditional agriculture to finance modern industrial infrastructure. By the time the Russo-Japanese War began in 1904, 65 % of employment and 38 % of the gross domestic product (GDP) was still based on agriculture, but modern industry had begun to expand substantially. By the late 1920s, manufacturing and mining contributed 23 % of
GDP, compared with 21 % for all of agriculture. Transportation and communications had developed to sustain heavy industrial development.
Military of Imperial Japan was the
Imperial Japanese Military divided into two main branches under
Imperial General Headquarters responsible for the overall conduct of operations including prominent military leaders and commanders:
*Prominent generals and leaders:
**
Imperial Japanese Navy -
Navy of Japan
***
Admiral Count
Sukeyuki Ito (1843-1914)
***Admiral Viscount
Yoshika Inoue (1845-1929)
***Admiral Marquis
Heihachiro Togo (1847-1934)
***Admiral Prince
Takahito Arisugawa (1862-1913)
***Admiral Baron
Goro Ijuin (1852-1921)
***Admiral Prince
Yorihito Higashi-Fushimi (1867-1922)
***Admiral Baron
Hayao Shimamura (1858-1923)
***Admiral Baron
Tomozaburo Kato (1861-1923)
***Admiral Prince
Hiroyasu Fushimi (1876-1946)
***Admiral
Isoroku Yamamoto (1884-1943)
Battle of Midway,
Attack on Pearl Harbor***Admiral
Osami Nagano (1880-1947)
***Admiral
Mineichi Koga (1885-1944)
***Admiral
Togo Heihachiro-
Battle of Tsushima***
Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo -
Battle of Midway,
Attack on Pearl Harbor**
Imperial Japanese Army -
Army of Japan
***
Iwane Matsui -
Second Sino-Japanese WarFirst Sino-Japanese War
Prior to its engagement in the
First World War, the Empire of Japan fought in two significant wars after its establishment following the Meiji Revolution. The first was the
First Sino-Japanese War, fought between 1894 and 1895. The war revolved around the issue of control and influence over the
Kingdom of Korea under the rule of the
Joseon Dynasty. A peasant rebellion led to a request by the Korean government for China to send troops in to stabilize the region. The Empire of Japan responded by sending their own force to Korea and installing a puppet government in
Seoul. China objected and war ensued. In a brief affair with Japanese ground troops routing Chinese forces on the
Liaodong Peninsula, and the near destruction of the Chinese navy in the
Battle of the Yalu River. China was forced to sign the
Treaty of Shimonoseki, which ceded parts of
Manchuria and the island of
Formosa to Japan (see
Taiwan under Japanese rule). It also established Japanese supremacy over China for the next fifty years.
Russo-Japanese War
The
Russo-Japanese War was a conflict for control of Korea and parts of Manchuria by the
Russian Empire and Empire of Japan that took place from 1904 to 1905. The war is significant as the first modern war where an Asian country defeated a European power and greatly raised Japan's measure in the world of global politics. The war is marked by the Japanese rebuff of Russian interests in Korea, Manchuria, and China. Notably, the Liaodong Peninsula, controlled by the city of
Port Arthur. Originally, in the Treaty of Shimonseki, Port Author had been given over to Japan. This part of the treaty was over ruled by Western powers, which in turn gave the port to the Russian Empire, furthering Russian interests in the region. These interests came into conflict with Japanese interests. The war began with a surprise attack on the Russian Eastern fleet stationed at Port Arthur, which was followed by the
Battle of Port Arthur. Those elements that attempted escape were defeated by the Japanese navy under Admiral Togo Heihachiro at the
Battle of the Yellow Sea. A year later, the Russian Baltic fleet arrived only to be annihilated in the
Battle of Tsushima. While the ground war did not fair as poorly for the Russians, the Japanese army was signficantly more aggressive than their Russian counter-parts and gained a political advantage that accumulated with the
Treaty of Portsmouth negotiated in the United States by the
American president Theodore Roosevelt. As a result, Russia lost half of
Sakhalin Island, as well as many mineral rights to Manchuria.
Japan entered
World War I in 1914, seizing the opportunity of
Germany's distraction with the European War and wanting to expand its sphere of influence in
China. Japan declared war on Germany in August 23, 1914 and quickly occupied German-leased territories in China's Shandong Province and the Mariana, Caroline, and Marshall Islands in the Pacific (then called German New Guinea). The
Battle of Tsingtao, a swift invasion in the German colony of Jiaozhou (Kiautschou) proved successful and the colonial troops surrendered on November 7 1914.
With Japan's Western allies, notably the
United Kingdom, heavily involved in the war in Europe, it sought further to consolidate its position in China by presenting the Twenty-One Demands to China in January 1915. Besides expanding its control over the German holdings, Manchuria, and Inner Mongolia, Japan also sought joint ownership of a major mining and metallurgical complex in central China, prohibitions on China's ceding or leasing any coastal areas to a third power, and miscellaneous other political, economic, and military controls, which, if achieved, would have reduced China to a Japanese protectorate. In the face of slow negotiations with the Chinese government, widespread
anti-Japanese sentiments in China, and international condemnation, Japan withdrew the final group of demands, and treaties were signed in May 1915
.
Imperial Japan allied with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy militarily and had similar goals in their respective world regions with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy's expansion in
Europe and Imperial Japan's expansion in
Asia. This
alliance was created to increase their military powers and cooperation in relation to other nations and was known as the Axis alliance.
After the unequal treaties were cancelled and as Imperial Japan got increasingly powerful militarily and started contesting territories of other nations such as
China,
Russia the
Allies, especially
United States and
Great Britain, restricted their trade with Imperial Japan as it was a danger to their military power and influence in the Pacific and Asia. The Axis alliance is also cited as
Nazi Germany's desire to put pressure on
Britain and
United States and goes as a warning to US to remain neutral country in World War II or otherwise get involved in war from two opposite fronts -
west and
east. It is also cited as weapon exchange between the two nations through Africa and South Asia.
On
September 4,
1941, the Japanese
Cabinet met to consider the war plans prepared by
Imperial General Headquarters, and decided that:
Our Empire, for the purpose of self-defence and self-preservation, will complete preparations for war ... [and is] ... resolved to go to war with the United States, Great Britain and the Netherlands if necessary. Our Empire will concurrently take all possible diplomatic measures vis-a-vis the United States and Great Britain, and thereby endeavor to obtain our objectives ... In the event that there is no prospect of our demands being met by the first ten days of October through the diplomatic negotiations mentioned above, we will immediately decide to commence hostilities against the United States, Britain and the Netherlands.Tripartite Pact
Japan joined
Nazi Germany under
Adolf Hitler and
Fascist Italy under
Benito Mussolini as
Axis Powers to "maintain new order of things" and defend each other in case if one of the countries got attacked, which was the result of the
Tripartite Pact and an alliance.
Invasions
China
Japan set its sights on
China,
Korea and other countries in
Southeast Asia as a result of a critical lack of resources. Japan needed these resources to continue its rapid industrialization and development. After conquering some of the territories of these nations, it started contesting
Russia's far-eastern territory and eventually began to invade eastern
Mongolia.
Japan turned to a government form that was very similar to
Fascism as a result of the
Great Depression. Although this unique style of government was very similar to Fascism, there were many significant differences between the two and has therefore been termed
Japanese nationalism.
Unlike the regimes of
Adolf Hitler and
Benito Mussolini, Japan had two economic goals in developing an empire. First, Japan's tightly controlled domestic military industry jump-started the nation's economy in the midst of the depression. Japan was forced to import raw materials such as
iron,
oil, and
coal to maintain strong growth in the industrial sector due to the lack of natural resources on Japan's home islands. Most of these raw materials came from the
United States. As a result of this military-industrial development scheme and the industrial growth of Japan,
mercantilist theories prevailed. The Japanese felt that resource-rich
colonies were needed to compete with European powers.
Korea (
1910) and Formosa (
Taiwan 1895) had earlier been annexed primarily as agricultural colonies. In addition to Korea and Formosa, Japan primarily targeted
Manchuria's iron and coal,
Indochina's
rubber, and
China's agricultural resources.
Japan invaded China in
1937, creating what was essentially a three-way war between Japan,
Mao Zedong's communists, and
Chiang Kai-shek's nationalists. In that same year, the Nationalist capital of
Nanking fell to Japanese troops. The event, known as the
Nanking Massacre, happened in the winter of
1937 and it is estimated that nearly 300,000 people, almost entirely comprised of civilians, were killed.
With little resistance, Japan invaded and conquered Manchuria in
1931. Japan claimed that this invasion was a liberation of the
Manchus from the Chinese, just as it had claimed that the annexation of
Korea was an act of protection. Japan then established a puppet regime called
Manchukuo, and established the former
Emperor of China,
Puyi, as the official
head of state.
Jehol, a Chinese territory bordering Manchuria, was also taken in
1933.
Korea
Malaysia
Singapore
Burma
Indonesia
Mongolia
Philippines
Japan launched air raids on US military positions in Philippines following the bombing of Pearl Harbor December 7th, 1941, and Japanese troops went ashore in the Philippines December 10th, initiating the
Battle of the Philippines. This battle, in turn, encompassed two other battles, the
Battle of Bataan and the
Battle of Corregidor. By January of 1942 General MacArthur and President Quezon were forced to flee in the face of Japanese advances. This marked among one of the worst defeats in American military history and left over 70,000 American and Filipino prisoners of war in the custody of the Japanese. Ten thousand of these prisoners later died on the
Bataan Death March, known as
Batān Shi no Kōshin in Japanese.
Imperial Japanese military rule lasted over two years. It was marked the resistance of several guerrilla armies and the incredible sufferings of the Philippine population.
The guerrilla forces were joined by General MacArthur and troops October 19th, 1944, and the Philippines campaign of 1944-45 was largely successful. Fighting ended with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender, signed on September 2nd, 1945.
Australia
Pearl Harbor
The Imperial Japanese Navy made its surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, on the morning of December 7, 1941. The Pacific Fleet of the United States Navy and its defending Army Air Forces and Marine air forces sustained significant losses. The primary objective of the attack was to incapacitate the United States long enough for Japan to establish its long-planned Southeast Asian empire and defensible buffer zones. The U.S. public saw the attack as a treacherous act and rallied against the Empire of Japan, causing the United States to enter World War II on the side of the Allied powers.
Atrocities in foreign territories
Sook Ching
When the Japanese occupied
Singapore, the Japanese
military authorities became concerned about the local Chinese population. The
Japanese Imperial Army had become aware that the ethnic Chinese had strong loyalties to either the
United Kingdom or
China, with wealthy Chinese financing
Chiang Kai-Shek's effort in the
Second Sino-Japanese War, after Japan had invaded China on July
1937, with other charity drives. The military authorities, led by General
Tomoyuki Yamashita, decided on a policy of "eliminating" the
anti-Japanese elements.
Soon after the fall of Singapore, Lieutenant Colonel Masayuki Oishi, commander of No. 2 Field Kempeitai, took over the offices of the Supreme Court building. Singapore was broken up into sectors, each placed under the control of a Kempeitai officer. The Japanese set up designated "screening centers" all over the colony. The blueprint was to gather and screen all Chinese males between 18 to 50 years old, and eliminating those thought to be
anti-Japanese. The ones who passed the "screening" would receive a piece of paper with "Examined" written on it, or have a square ink mark on their arms and shirts. Those who did not pass the "screening" would be stamped with triangular marks. There were
trucks near these screening centers to send those anti-Japanese elements to their deaths. The Japanese Army chose remote sites such as
Changi,
Punggol,
Blakang Mati and
Bedok to perform the executions, with the victims thrown overboard off boats or be machine-gunned to death off the harbour.
Nanking Massacre
The Nanking Massacre, commonly known as
"The Rape of Nanking", refers to the most infamous of the war crimes committed by the Japanese military during World War II"acts carried out by Japanese troops in and around
Nanjing (then known in English as Nanking), China, after it fell to the
Imperial Japanese Army on December 13, 1937. The duration of the massacre is not clearly defined, although the period of carnage lasted well into the next six weeks, until early February 1938.
The extent of the
atrocities is hotly debated, with numbers ranging from the claim of the Japanese army at the International Military Tribunal for the Far East that the death toll was military in nature and that "no such atrocities ever occurred", to the Chinese claim of a non-combatant death toll of 300,000. The West has generally tended to adopt the Chinese point-of-view, with many Western sources now quoting 300,000 dead. This is partly due to the commercial success of
Iris Chang's "
The Rape of Nanking", which set the stage for the debate of the issue in the West; and the existence of extensive photographic records of the mutilated bodies of women and children.
 |
Nuclear weapon attack by the US is commonly cited as ending the war sooner against Empire of Japan. |
Battle of Midway
After a few months of unconcentrated naval engagements that followed Pearl Harbor, Japan would suffer a major military defeat at the
Battle of Midway and lose most of its offensive carrier capabilities. Midway was a turning point in WWII and the beginning of the end for Imperial Japan. From this point until its surrender in August
1945, the Empire would focus on defending its territorial gains.
Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
The
United States dropped two
nuclear weapons on Japan at the end of the
World War II. The
atomic bombing was the first and last used against another nation in a time of war. These bombs killed around 100,000–200,000 people in a matter of minutes, and many more people died as a result of
nuclear radiation in the following weeks, months, and years.
Seven days after the
atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Empire of Japan signed unconditional surrender and ended the war with the Allies in
Potsdam Declaration.
Hirohito said:
Moreover, the enemy has begun to employ a new and most cruel bomb, the power of which to do damage is, indeed, incalculable, taking the toll of many innocent lives. Should We continue to fight, not only would it result in an ultimate collapse and obliteration of the Japanese nation, but also it would lead to the total extinction of human civilization. Such being the case, how are We to save the millions of Our subjects, or to atone Ourselves before the hallowed spirits of Our Imperial Ancestors? This is the reason why We have ordered the acceptance of the provisions of the Joint Declaration of the Powers.He also said at the end of his
sovereign reign that
The ties between Us and Our people have always stood upon mutual trust and affection and do not depend upon mere legends and myths. They are not predicated on the false conception that the Emperor is divine, and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and fated to rule the world.Former Prime Minister
Hideki Tojo also said after the defeat before being
executed for
war crimes:
It is natural that I should bear entire responsibility for the war in general, and, needless to say, I am prepared to do so. Consequently, now that the war has been lost, it is presumably necessary that I be judged so that the circumstances of the time can be clarified and the future peace of the world be assured. Therefore, with respect to my trial, it is my intention to speak frankly, according to my recollection, even though when the vanquished stands before the victor, who has over him the power of life and death, he may be apt to toady and flatter. I mean to pay considerable attention to this in my actions, and say to the end that what is true is true and what is false is false. To shade one's words in flattery to the point of untruthfulness would falsify the trial and do incalculable harm to the nation, and great care must be taken to avoid this.*
1926: Emperor
Taisho dies (December 25).
*
1927:
Tanaka Giichi becomes prime minister (April 20).
*
1928:
Hirohito is formally installed as emperor (November 10).
*
1929:
Hamaguchi Osachi becomes prime minister (July 2).
*
1930: Hamaguchi is wounded in an assassination attempt (November 14).
*
1931: Hamaguchi dies and
Wakatsuki Reijiro becomes prime minister (April 14). Japan occupies Manchuria after the
Mukden Incident (September 18).
Inukai Tsuyoshi becomes prime minister (December 13) and increases funding for the military in China.
*
1932: After an attack on Japanese monks in
Shanghai (January 18), Japanese forces shell the city (January 29).
Manchukuo is established with
Henry Pu Yi as emperor (February 29). Inukai is assassinated during a coup attempt and
Saito Makoto becomes prime minister (May 15). Japan is censured by the
League of Nations (December 7).
*
1933: Japan leaves the League of Nations (March 27).
*
1934:
Okada Keisuke becomes prime minister (July 8). Japan withdraws from the
Washington Naval Treaty (December 29).
*
1936: Coup attempt (
February 26 Incident).
Hirota Koki becomes prime minister (March 9). Japan signs its first pact with
Germany (November 25) and occupies
Tsingtao (December 3).
Mengchiang established in
Inner Mongolia.
*
1937:
Hayashi Senjuro becomes prime minister (February 2). Prince
Konoe Fumimaro becomes prime minister (June 4).
Battle of Lugou Bridge (July 7). Japan captures
Beijing (July 31). Japanese troops occupy
Nanjing (December 13), beginning the
Nanjing massacre.
*
1938:
Battle of Taierzhuang (March 24).
Canton falls to Japanese forces (October 21).
*
1939:
Hiranuma Kiichiro becomes prime minister (January 5). Abe Nobuyuki becomes prime minister (August 30).
*
1940:
Yonai Mitsumasa becomes prime minister (January 16). Konoe becomes prime minister for a second term (July 22).
Hundred Regiments Offensive (August–September). Japan occupies Indochina in the wake of the fall of Paris, and signs the
Tripartite Pact (September 27).
*
1941: General
Tojo Hideki becomes prime minister (October 18).
Japanese naval forces attack Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii (December 7), prompting the United States to declare war on Japan (December 8). Japan conquers
Hong Kong (December 25).
*
1942:
Singapore surrenders to Japan (February 15).
Japan bombs Australia (February 19).
Doolittle Raid on Tokyo (April 18).
Battle of the Coral Sea (May 4–8). U.S. and
Filipino forces in the
Battle of the Philippines (1942) surrender (May 8). Japan defeated at the
Battle of Midway (June 6). Allied victory in the
Battle of Milne Bay (September 5).
*
1943: Allied victory in
Battle of Guadalcanal (February 9). Japan defeated at
Battle of Tarawa (November 23).
*
1944: Tojo resigns and
Koiso Kuniaki becomes prime minister (July 22).
*
1945: U.S. bombers begin firebombing of major Japanese cities. Japan defeated at
Battle of Iwo Jima (March 26). Admiral
Suzuki Kantaro becomes prime minister (April 7). Japan defeated at
Battle of Okinawa (June 21). U.S. drops
atomic bombs on
Hiroshima (August 6) and
Nagasaki (August 9). Japan surrenders (August 14): Allied occupation begins.
Emperors of the Empire of Japan
| Posthumous name1 | Given name2 | Childhood name3 | Period of Reigns | Era name4 |
|---|
Meiji Tennō
(明治天皇) | Mutsuhito
(睦仁) | Sachi-no-miya
(祐宮) | 1867-1912
(1890-1912)5 | Meiji |
Taishō Tennō
(大正天皇) | Yoshihito
(嘉仁) | Haru-no-miya
(明宮) | 1912-1926 | Taishō |
Shōwa Tennō
(昭'天皇) | Hirohito
(裕仁) | Michi-no-miya
(迪宮) | 1926-1989
(1926-1947)6 | Shōwa |
| 1 Each posthumous name was given after the respective era names as Ming and Qing Dynasties of China. |
| 2 The Japanese imperial family name has no surname or dynastic name. |
| 3 The Meiji Emperor was known only by the appellation Sachi-no-miya from his birth until 11 November 1860, when he was proclaimed heir apparent to Emperor Komei and received the personal name Mutsuhito . |
| 4 No multiple era names were given for each reign after Meiji Emperor. |
| 5 Constitutionally. |
| 6 Constitutionally. The reign of the Showa Emperor in fact continued until 1989 since he did not abdicate after WWII. |
