Taishō period

The Taishō period ( Japanese 大 正 時代 Taishō-jidai ) denotes the term of office of Tennō Yoshihito in the period from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926 in the history of Japan . Taishō ( 大 正 , ligature : ㍽ ) is the government motto ( Nengō ) Yoshihitos.

It was characterized by a weak ruler who, due to illness, no longer had the vitality to hold the country together. Hence there was a power shift from the traditionalists and oligarchic officials to the democratic parties . Hence, this period is also known as Taishō democracy in Japan . It also differs from the preceding and rather chaotic Meiji period and the militaristic Shōwa period following the Taisho period .

etymology

The term Taishō was borrowed from the classical Chinese work I Ching . There is to be found in the description of the 19 hexagram lín following sentence 大亨以正 ,天之道也 (Jap. Kanbun : 大亨は以って正天の道なり"great meaning and smooth progress with justice - that) is the way of heaven ", so that Taishō (" great justice ") expresses that a just government, which relies on the consent of the people, is sought.

The legacy of the Meiji period

The Meiji Emperor died on July 30, 1912, and Crown Prince Yoshihito succeeded the throne under the government motto Taisho. The end of the Meiji period was marked by massive government spending on overseas investments and defense programs. The main burden for the state treasury was military spending of around 30% of the state budget, the Russo-Japanese War of 1904/05 and the building of a colonial empire that already included Korea and Taiwan . The treasury was empty and there was a lack of foreign exchange to pay off the foreign debts.

As in the Meiji era, Japan continued to be influenced by Western culture. Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915) adopted Western painting techniques, but also continued to work on traditional Japanese woodblock prints ( ukiyo-e ). Okakura Tenshin (1862–1913) maintained an interest in traditional Japanese painting techniques. The authors Mori Ogai (1862–1922) and Natsume Soseki (1867–1916) studied in the West and thus brought the influence of European literature and Western humanism to Japan.

The Meiji Restoration also gave new intellectual impetus. Influenced by American trade unionists , interest in socialist ideas also grew in Japan. Through the industrialization originated in Japan a proletariat , although still 80% of the population in the country and by the agriculture lived. A left-wing movement emerged among the intellectuals that upheld ideals such as universal suffrage (of men), social welfare, workers' rights and non-violent protest. The government's suppression of the movement and the influence of anarchist thinkers like Kropotkin, however, led to a radicalization of the movement. The Socialist Party of Japan ( 日本 社会 党 , Nihon shakaitō ) was disbanded one year after its founding in 1906, the socialist movement could not prevail in Japan. However, the radical left had a significant influence on young Chinese students in Tokyo , and so the city became the nucleus of the revolutionary movement in China.

Events

The beginning of the Taisho period was marked by a political crisis that disrupted the previous policy of compromise. When Saionji Kimmochi tried to cut the military budget, the army minister resigned, overthrowing the cabinet formed by the Seiyūkai . Both Yamagata and Saionji refused to continue in office, and the Genrōs failed to find a solution. Public dismay at the military interference in politics and the installation of Katsura Tarō for a third term reinforced the demands for an end to politics by the genro. Against the opposition of the old guard, conservative forces founded their own party in 1913, the Rikken Dōshikai , a party that won a majority against the Seiyokai in the elections the following year.

On February 12, 1913, Yamamoto Gonnohyōe (1852-1933) Katsura succeeded as Prime Minister. He resigned after a bribery affair known as the Siemens scandal . In April 1914, Ōkuma Shigenobu replaced Yamamoto. In the further course of the year the Ōkuma government declared war on the German Reich and thus entered the First World War on the side of the Entente . In 1915, Ōkuma and Katō Takaaki drafted the Twenty-One Demands on China , which should secure Japan domination over the country. At the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 , the German colonies in Shandong were ceded to Japan. The attempt by Japan to gain a foothold in Siberia ultimately failed in 1922.

The Crown Prince Hirohito had practically held the reign since 1921 due to his father's illness . With his death on December 25, 1926, Hirohito became the 124th emperor. The new era of Shōwa ( Enlightened Peace ) was proclaimed. On November 10, 1928 he was crowned in the Kyoto Imperial Palace . Overall, during the Taisho period, power shifted from the Tennō and his confidants, the Genrō , to parliament and the newly founded parties. The era name also served as a namesake for events that had taken place during this time.

Is denoted by Taisho democracy usually the time (1905-31), in the Japanese cabinets members from political parties had. In the Buddhist context, Taishō refers to the printed version of the complete Sino-Japanese canon , often referred to as "T." is abbreviated before the reference number.

Conversion to the Gregorian calendar

Taishō year	1	2	3	4th	5	6th	7th	8th	9	10	11	12	13	14th	15th
Gregorian calendar	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920	1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Japanlink : Taishô Zeit , Author: Andreas Fels , accessed on September 1, 2010.
2. ↑ 「昭和」 の 由来 は 何 で す か? . Meiji Shrine , Retrieved September 24, 2011 (Japanese). 
3. ↑ Takakusu Junjirō; Watanabe Kaigyoku; 大 正 新 修 大 蔵 経 Taishō shinshū daizōkyō; Tōkyō 1922-32 (Taishō issaikyō kankokai), 100 Vol. (Content: Vol. 1-55 Indian and Chinese works; Vol. 56-84 jp. Works; Vol. 85 Varia; in addition 12 vol. Picture part); Texts completely .zip archives

Web links

Commons : Taishō era  - collection of images, videos and audio files