Shōwa era

The period of Japanese history corresponding to Emperor Shōwa’s reign, from December 25, 1926, to January 7, 1989. It spans militarist expansion, defeat in World War II, and postwar economic growth.

Manchurian Incident: A 1931 explosion on a Japanese-owned railway in Manchuria that Japan used to justify occupying the region. It accelerated military expansion early in the era.
Meiji Constitution: Japan’s 1889 constitution, which established an imperial state and remained in force until 1947. Its institutions framed politics in the era’s first two decades.
Hirohito: Emperor of Japan from 1926 to 1989, posthumously known by his era name, Shōwa. His reign gives the era its name and chronological boundaries.
Japanese postwar economic miracle: Japan’s rapid reconstruction and industrial growth after its 1945 defeat. It transformed a devastated country into a leading industrial economy.
Taishō era: The period of Japanese history during Emperor Taishō’s reign, from 1912 to 1926. It immediately preceded Shōwa and provides context for its early political shifts.
Second Sino-Japanese War: The war between Japan and China that began in 1937 and became part of World War II. It marked the escalation of Japan’s continental war.
Imperial Japanese Army: The land force of the Empire of Japan from 1868 to 1945. Its growing autonomy helped drive expansion and shape wartime government.
Hideki Tojo: Japanese general and prime minister from 1941 to 1944, executed for war crimes in 1948. He led the government during the opening years of the Pacific War.
Japanese pacifism: A political and social current in Japan favoring the renunciation of war and limits on military force. Postwar constitutional commitments and war experience strengthened it.
Heisei era: The period of Japanese history during Emperor Akihito’s reign, from 1989 to 2019. It followed Shōwa and began amid the collapse of the late-1980s asset bubble.

Linked from 11 pages