1868 Meiji Emperor implements westernization programs. 1894 Japanese militarism begins with war on China. 1941 December, Japan attacks the United States at Pearl Harbour. 1945 August, The United States drops atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. The war ends.
Japan returns to self-rule.
1960 Japan and the U.S. sign Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security. The Prime Minister is nominated by Cabinet members and is designated by the Emperor, the symbolic head of the nation. The resulting coalition government represented the beginning of a new era, with political redistricting and other reforms. Whatever combination of parties emerges after the current period of instability, the leadership will comprise younger men and women, less focused on relations with the U.S., seeking to define a larger role for Japan in international affairs. Japan is divided into forty-seven prefectures, which are similar to Canada's provinces.