Knowra Emperor Taishō Emperor Taishō Emperor Taishō, born Yoshihito, was Japan’s 123rd emperor, reigning from 1912 to 1926. His reign coincided with parliamentary expansion and major social change.
Emperor Meiji : The 122nd emperor of Japan, who reigned from 1867 to 1912 and oversaw the Meiji era. Taishō succeeded his father, whose long reign transformed Japan.
Taishō democracy : A period of expanded party politics, suffrage activism, and mass political participation in Japan, especially during the 1910s and 1920s. Its political opening unfolded during Taishō’s reign, though the emperor was not its sole cause.
Hara Takashi : A Japanese politician who served as prime minister from 1918 to 1921 and led the first cabinet headed by a commoner. His premiership embodied the rise of party government during Taishō’s reign.
Meiji era : The Japanese historical era from 1868 to 1912, associated with state-led modernization and imperial consolidation. It preceded Taishō’s reign and set the institutional conditions he inherited.
Empress Teimei : The empress consort of Emperor Taishō and mother of Emperor Shōwa. She married Yoshihito as crown prince and remained a prominent presence in the imperial household.
Universal manhood suffrage in Japan : The 1925 law that granted voting rights to Japanese men aged 25 and older, subject to residence requirements. The law expanded electoral participation near the end of his reign.
Katō Takaaki : A Japanese diplomat and politician who served as prime minister from 1924 to 1926. His cabinet enacted universal manhood suffrage during the emperor’s final years.
Shōwa era : The Japanese historical era beginning with Emperor Shōwa’s accession in 1926 and ending with his death in 1989. It followed Taishō’s shorter reign and encompassed a far longer, more tumultuous imperial period.
Emperor Shōwa : The 124th emperor of Japan, who reigned from 1926 to 1989 and was born Hirohito. Taishō’s eldest son succeeded him and became the next emperor.
Rice Riots of 1918 : A nationwide wave of protests in Japan triggered by soaring rice prices in 1918. The unrest exposed the pressures of urban life under Taishō-era governments.
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