Category:Taishō period

The Taishō period (大正時代, Taishō jidai) spans from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926, corresponding to the reign of Emperor Taishō. It followed the Meiji period and preceded the Shōwa period. The era is often characterized by a shift toward parliamentary democracy, increased political participation, rapid urbanization, and the growth of modern mass culture. This period is sometimes described as the “Taishō Democracy” era due to its relative political openness and liberal atmosphere.

The Taishō period saw a weakening of the autocratic leadership that had dominated during the Meiji era. Emperor Taishō’s ill health resulted in reduced imperial influence and allowed elected politicians and party cabinets greater control over government affairs.

Key political events include:

• Rise of party politics – Political parties such as Rikken Seiyūkai and Kenseikai gained influence, and several prime ministers were chosen from parliamentary backgrounds.
• Universal male suffrage (1925) – Voting rights were extended to all adult men over 25, marking a major step toward representative democracy.
• Peace Preservation Law (1925) – While suffrage expanded, this law restricted political dissent and targeted socialist, communist, and anarchist groups.

Though relatively democratic compared to earlier and later periods, Taishō liberalism was fragile, challenged by economic instability and rising nationalism.

The Taishō era experienced both growth and instability:

• World War I boom (1914–1918) – Japan became a major supplier to Allied countries, fueling industrial expansion and urban growth.
• Post-war recession (from 1920) – Economic downturns, bank failures, and inflation led to social and labor unrest.
• The Great Kantō Earthquake (1923) – A devastating earthquake struck Tokyo and Yokohama, killing over 100,000 people and exposing socioeconomic inequities.

Urban centers such as Tokyo, Osaka, and Yokohama expanded rapidly, with large working-class populations and increased consumer culture.

The Taishō period brought notable social shifts:

• Emergence of the modern middle class, including salaried office workers (sarariiman).
• Women's roles began to change, with increased access to education and participation in social and labor movements, though legal equality remained limited.
• Labor and student activism grew, influenced by socialism, anarchism, and international intellectual trends.

The period saw heightened debate over the shape of Japan’s modern national identity.

The Taishō era is known for vibrant cultural experimentation and cosmopolitan influence:

• Literature – Writers such as Natsume Sōseki, Akutagawa Ryūnosuke, and Tanizaki Jun’ichirō explored modern psychology, urban life, and individual identity.
• Art and Design – Taishō Romanticism and early modernist movements flourished alongside new media like photography and commercial advertising.
• Theater and Cinema – Shingeki (modern drama) emerged, and cinema became a major form of popular entertainment.
• Mass media – Newspapers, magazines, cafés, and publishing culture created new public spaces for discussion.

Western cultural influences were widely adopted, adapted, and transformed into uniquely Japanese forms.

Japan expanded its international presence:

• Gained former German territories in East Asia and the Pacific as a victor of World War I.
• Participated in the League of Nations as a founding member.
• Increasing tensions in China and the Pacific set the stage for the militarist expansion of the early Shōwa period.

The Taishō period is remembered as a transitional era:

• It saw the peak of parliamentary democracy before its collapse in the 1930s.
• Cultural modernism flourished, leaving a lasting impact on Japanese literature, arts, and intellectual life.
• Political, economic, and social pressures during this period contributed to the rise of militarism in the following Shōwa era.

• Taishō Democracy
• Emperor Taishō
• Great Kantō earthquake