Japanese History 1868-1947

By 11anaemi

  • Russian explorers reach Hokkaido

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    Temmei Famine

    1782-heavy floods
    1783-Mt Asama erupts. Fields filled with ash. Many deaths.
    Villagers flee to cities, overpopulating the cities and leading to food shortages and drops in tax revenue. The leads to Rice Riots.
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    Russians press for trading rights with Japan

  • Whalers, traders, gunboats from EU and US arrive in Japan

    N. Atlantic over-fished.
    Japan a good pit stop for merchant and navy vessels on way to China or beyond.
    Industrialization abroad seeks new markets.
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    Tempo Famine

    Terrible year for crops, many starve. Causes an ideological crisis in Japan as they question the "benevolence" that the Shogunate was supposed to give them. No longer believe that the Shogunate is legitimate.

  • Oshio Heihachiro revolt against Osaka

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    Chinese Opium Wars

    Opium wars in China. China tries to stop the addictive opium trade coming from Britain who are trading it for tea. Britain doesn't like this. They fight.

  • Perry arrives in Edo

    Goes to Edo, refuses to go to Nagasaki where the Dutch were. Doesn't get a response right away so he goes off for a year as the shogunate thinks about his proposals. Shogunate sends out a letter to all its 260 daimyo asking for their opinion thus showing that they are weak and consdiered their under-lords as their equals. Daimyo unfavorable towards Perry.

  • Treaty of Kanagawa

    Treaty between Commodore Perry and Japan. Allows for access in Hakodate and Shimoda with a US consolate in Shimoda. Guarantee that Japan will provide assistance to any US solider shipwrecked in Japanese waters. However this treaty was not reciprocol. It also made no clauses for trade - which the Shogunate considered a victory about - nor extraterritoriality or long-term visits from the US. Pit stops only.

  • Treaty of Amity and Commerce

    Follow up to Kanagawa Treaty by US Townshead Harris, also know therefore as the Harris Treaty, in which he stipulate trade aggreements with Japan. This allowed informal colonialism, opened 5 ports to the US - Kanagawa, Kobe, Nagasaki, Nigata, and Yokohama. Allowed extraterritoriality and the return of missionary activity. This treaty marked Japan's entry into the international world order. Japan eventually signs treatys with other countries too.

  • Sakamoto Ryoma's planned attempt on Katsu Kaishu

    Low-ranking samurai since his grandfather had boughten his status. Pro-imperialist, and joins a group in Tosa in 1862 that plans to assassinate a bakufu official, Katsu Kaishu. Yet instead he becomes his protege and understands that the way to reform Japan is to bring down the Shogunate. Creates an alliance between the Satsuma and Chosu samurai and led to the negotiation of Tokugawa's resignation. Assassinated by Shishi in 1867.

  • Return of Emperor. Fall of Tokugawa Shogunate

  • Iwakura Tomomi joins forces with samurai

    count noble who rallied against the Amity Treaty, breaking the role of the noble as a scholar only. Involved in politics. In the 1860s he tries to create an alliance between the court and the shogunate but is exiled instead. Later he returns and in 1868 joins forces with the samurai. He is instrumental for bring the emperor back into political life.

  • Create new prefectures, new governors. Oust daimyo.

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    Iwakura Mission

    The new government sent diplomation missions to the US and EU to 1) renogtiation the Unequal treaties since they were made with the Tokugawa government which no longer exists; this was a great way to get other countries to recognize their government.
    And 2) See what western life is like - toured schools, hospitals, factories. They learned what a modern state looks like.

  • Meiji Six Society Founded

    A group of 33 formal members from the elite society; gave biweekly lectures, produced a journal with western ideas
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    Land Tax Reform

    No longer using rice! Now using money. Resurvey land to establish market values. Issued land deeds and deeds of ownership, making a new sense of ownership. This reform was generally seen as fair by the people.

  • Treaty of Kanghwa

    Unequal treaty with Korea, opens 3 ports, wants to civilize and subdue Korea

  • War of the Southwest with Saigo Takamori

    Last great samurai rebellion. Saigo Takamori had led attacks on the Tokugawa shogunate during the civil wars and joined the new government but now he was unhappy with the treatment of the samurai who were being ousted under the new reforms. Leads a revolt against the Meiji, fighting a conscription army. Loses.

  • Meiji Constitution written by Ito Hirobomi

    1. Emperor is head of state, army, navy. Appoints judges Power to create temproary laws with diet not in session. Can dissolve diet to elect a new one.
    2. Two-house parliament (diiet). Upper House - elites, peers. Lower House - elected, Decide national budget. Elected by men who have at least a 15% tax rate.
    3. Transcendental Cabinet - Executive branch, ministers, PM. Appointed by the emperor who tended to chose from the Meiji Oligarchs.
    4. New Civil Rights - but only within the limits of law
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    First Sino-Japanese War

    Fought over Korea

  • Treaty of Shimonoseki

    Following the Japanese naval victory against China in the first Sino-Japanese War from 1894-1895, Japan demanded that Korea become an "independent state," they took Taiwain and Penghu for colonies, briefly had the Liandong Peninsula, $360m idemnity. Trade rights with China.
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    Commoner Society

    Socialist society with a widely publicized newspaper critiquing the government.
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    Russo-Japanese War

    Over Korea, Manchuria

  • Treaty of Portsmouth

    Japan gets Russian railways in Manchuria, ports in S. Manchuria. Russia recognizes Japan's exclusive right to korea. Cedes S. Sakhalin.

  • Great Treason Incident

    Plot to kill the emperor. Mass arrests, executions. Drives socialism underground.

  • Rice Riots

    Protest about high prices post WWI.
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    Emergence of mass media, culture; "modern girls, "culture homes"

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    Growing "China Problem"

    1920s-1930s, Japan realizes how dependent economically it is on China.
    1. Raw goods - coal, iron, cotton
    2. China is #1 consumer of Japanese goods
    3. Cheap labor for Japanese factories in China
    yet all of this was threatened by the unequal treaties and the growing nationalism, anti-Japanese sentiment in China.

  • Showa Restoration -- 2/26 Incident

    Coined by Kita Ikki, desire to restore the emperor to power again. Coming of the creation of Manchukuo, saw that military was in control, not civilian government. 1
    931 - March incident, failed coup.
    1932 - assassination of PM
    1934 - military academey incident, failed coup, assassination of General Nigata.
    2.26 incident, 1936. miltary tries to take over government, occupies Tokyo. Emperor declares in treason. Ends fighting. Kita Ikki executed among others. period of martial law follows.

  • National Spiritual Mobilization Act

    all societal organziations oriented to support the war

  • Marco Polo Bridge Incident

    Explosion of bridge blamed on China. Invade China. (way of solving China problem)
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    Second Sino-Japanese War

    World War II in Pacific

  • Attack Shanghai

    Burn it.

  • Massacre at Nanjing

    Systematic rape, killings. Huge number of casualities. Devasting effects.

  • National Mobilization Law

    Economic reforms, rations; controlled industrials.
    Price and wage controlled.
    Forced savings. Forced to buy war bonds.

  • US Embargo on Aircraft parts

    Western perceptions of Japan change in 1930s after Manchuria. Trying to get Japan to stop.

  • Imperial Rule Assistance Association

    Collapse all political parties into one, modeled on Nazi Party.

  • Japan Takes N. IndoChina. US Embargo on Airplace gas, fuel

  • Japan signs tripartite with Germany, Italy; US Embargo scrap metal

  • Japan takes S. IndoChina; US Embargos oil

    US demands the withdrawal from China, Japans ays China is not negotiable. It is Japan's "Monroe Doctrine."

  • Pearl Harbor Attached

    US enters WWII.
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    Air Raids on Japanese Towns

    Destroys cities like Tokyo, huge casualities

  • Atomic Bomb on Hiroshimi

  • Atomic Bomb on Nagasaki

  • SCAP begins occupation in Japan

    Allied, though mainly US, occupation of Japan. Mainly focused on the democratization and demilitarization of Japan. Saw people as victims of government.
    1. Purge - war trials
    2. Loss of empire. Settlers return
    3. Release of political prisoners. Hope they will take place in new government.
    4. Education. Weary of centralized education system and the censored histories, ethics.
    5. Release political prisoners. Hope they will take part in new government.

  • 1947 Constitution

    Wirtten by Americans when they reject the Japanese version.
    1. Emperor just a symbolic leader
    2. Both diets are elected. All men can vote.And women in 1945
    3. End of cabinet
    4. independent judiciaries
    5. New definition of civil rights. Gender equality
    6. Article 9: Peace Clause. Give up right to army, war.

  • AMPO Signed

    US-Japanese Peace Treaty. Renewed in 1959, though this does cause some riots.

  • AMPO Renewed

    Great protests in Japan about it

  • Okinawa returned to Japan, barring any US bases there

    Keep military bases there. Keep for defense of Japan in case of war.