Empire of Japan

This article is about the former empire. For the modern state, see Japan.

Empire of Japan 大日本帝国 Dai Nippon Teikoku
1868–1947
Flag Imperial Seal
Motto:  (1940–1945) 八紘一宇 Hakkō ichiu ("The World Under One Roof")
Anthem:  君が代 Kimigayo ("His Imperial Majesty's Reign")
The Empire of Japan's territorial control at its peak during World War II (mid 1942):   Japan (1870–1895)   Colonies/Mandates (1895–1930)   Puppet states/Occupied territories (1930–1942)
Historical era	Meiji • Taishō • Shōwa
• Established	3 January 1868
• Disestablished	3 May 1947
Preceded by Succeeded by Tokugawa shogunate Occupied Japan

History of Japan
Tokyo Industrial Exhibition, 1907
Periods Paleolithic before 14,000 BC Jōmon 14,000 – 300 BC Yayoi 300 BC – 300 AD Kofun 300–538 Asuka 538–710 Nara 710–794 Heian 794–1185 Kamakura 1185–1333 Kenmu Restoration 1333–1336 Muromachi (Ashikaga) Nanboku-chō Sengoku 1336–1573 Azuchi–Momoyama Nanban trade 1573–1603 Edo (Tokugawa) Sakoku Convention of Kanagawa Bakumatsu 1603–1868 Meiji Boshin War Restoration First Sino-Japanese War Boxer Rebellion Russo-Japanese War 1868–1912 Taishō World War I 1912–1926 Shōwa Financial crisis Militarism World War II Occupation Economic miracle Post-occupation Bubble economy 1926–1989 Heisei Lost Decade Great Hanshin earthquake Great East Japan earthquake Imperial transition 1989–2019 (planned) Reiwa 2019 (planned)
Topics Currency Earthquakes Economy Education Empire Historiography Military Naval Post-war
Glossary Timeline

Empire of Japan
Japanese name
Kanji	大日本帝国
Hiragana	だいにっぽんていこく だいにほんていこく
Katakana	ダイニッポンテイコク ダイニホンテイコク
Kyūjitai	大日本帝國
Transcriptions Revised Hepburn Dai Nippon Teikoku Dai Nihon Teikoku

The Empire of Japan (Japanese: 大日本帝国; said Dai Nippon Teikoku; officially Empire of Greater Japan or Greater Japanese Empire; also called Imperial Japan and the Japanese Empire) was a government of the areas ruled by Japan during the period from the Meiji Restoration to the Japanese defeat in World War II. The Emperors during this time, were Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito), Emperor Taishō (Yoshihito) and Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito). It is considered to go from the year 1868 to 1945.

In those years, Japan changed very much. It became one of the most powerful countries in the world. Japan built a powerful army and navy, and changed from an agricultural to an industrial economy. The Japanese began to invade and occupy other near countries like Korea, Taiwan, and part of China to get resources.

The Empire of Japan surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945, after a long war against the Allied nations of World War II ending with the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The Allies occupied the country and made many changes, including a new constitution. Allied occupation and reconstruction of the country continued well into the 1950s.

Other websites

• Imperial Japan Archived 2007-04-09 at the Wayback Machine
• Death of the Father: Hirohito & Imperial Japan