Showa period | Japanese history | Britannica.com Japanese history Edo culture Shōwa period, in Japanese history, the period (1926–89) corresponding to the reign of the emperor Hirohito . The two Chinese characters (kanji) in the name Shōwa translate as “Bright Peace” in Japanese. However, a more nuanced interpretation is “Enlightened Harmony”—with the added significance that the second character (wa) is commonly used in words that describe Japan or things Japanese. The Shōwa period was preceded by the Taishō period (1912–26) and was followed by the Heisei period (1989– ). The first part of the Shōwa, from Hirohito’s enthronement in 1926 to the end of World War II in 1945, is known as the early Shōwa period. It is noted principally for the rise of militarism in Japan, Japanese aggression in China and elsewhere in East and Southeast Asia, and the country’s wartime defeat.

The postwar Shōwa decades were marked by Japan’s spectacular recovery and its rise as a global economic powerhouse second only to the United States , its former enemy and subsequent closest ally. Unlike the Meiji Restoration (1868–1912)—corresponding to the rule of the Meiji emperor and synonymous among historians with Japan’s emergence as a modern country—none of the three succeeding ruling periods is widely used to designate the 20th-century history of Japan. The term Shōwa literature, however, does denote a distinct phase in Japanese literature from about 1924 until the outbreak of World War II in 1939, and the Great Depression of the 1930s, which was particularly severe in Japan, is referred to as the Shōwa Depression there. Japanese Art in the Showa Period About Watch and Favorite Watch Watching this resources will notify you when proposed changes or new versions are created so you can keep track of improvements that have been made. Favorite Favoriting this resource allows you to save it in the “My Resources” tab of your account. There, you can easily access this resource later when you’re ready to customize it or assign it to your students.

Japanese Art in the Showa Period During the Shōwa period, Japan shifted toward totalitarianism until its defeat in World War II, when it led an economic and cultural recovery. Learning Objective Create a timeline describing the upheaval, occupation, democratic reforms, and economic boom of the pre- and post-war Shōwa period Key Points The Shōwa period in Japanese history corresponds to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989. Japanese painting in the pre-war Shōwa period was largely dominated by the work of Yasui Sōtarō (1888–1955) and Umehara Ryūzaburō (1888–1986). During World War II, government controls and censorship meant that only patriotic themes could be expressed, and many artists were recruited into the government propaganda effort. After the end of World War II in 1945, many artists began working in art forms derived from the international scene, moving away from local artistic developments into the mainstream of world art.

Terms Treaty of San Francisco A treaty between Japan and part of the Allied Powers, officially signed by 48 nations on September 8, 1951 and coming into force on April 28, 1952; representing the official conclusion of World War II, it ended Japan's position as an imperial power and allocated compensation to Allied civilians and former prisoners of war who had suffered Japanese war crimes. Full Text Overview: The Shōwa Period The Shōwa period in Japanese history corresponds to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito (裕), from December 25, 1926 through January 7, 1989. The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor. During the pre-1945 period, Japan moved toward political totalitarianism, ultra-nationalism, and fascism , culminating in Japan's invasion of China in 1937. This was part of an overall global period of social upheavals and conflicts such as the Great Depression and the Second World War. Defeat in the Second World War brought radical change to Japan. For the first and only time in its history, Japan was occupied by foreign powers.

This occupation by the United States on behalf of the Allied Forces (which included the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, and China) lasted seven years. Allied occupation brought forth sweeping democratic reforms, leading to the end of the emperor's status as a living god and the transformation of Japan into a democracy with a constitutional monarch. In 1952, with the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan became a sovereign nation once more and underwent an economic revitalization. In these ways, the pre-1945 and post-war periods regard completely different states: the pre-1945 Shōwa period (1926–1945) concerns the Empire of Japan, while the post-1945 Shōwa period (1945–1989) was a part of the State of Japan. Art in the Pre-War Shōwa Period Japanese painting in the pre-war Shōwa period was largely dominated by Yasui Sōtarō (1888–1955) and Umehara Ryūzaburō (1888–1986).

These artists introduced the concepts of pure art and abstract painting to the Nihonga tradition (a style based on traditional Japanese art forms) and thus created a more interpretative version of that genre . Yasui Sōtarō was strongly influenced by the realistic styles of the French artists Jean-François Millet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Paul Cézanne; he incorporated clear outlines and vibrant colors in his portraits and landscapes, combining western realism with the softer touches of traditional Nihonga techniques. This trend was further developed by Leonard Foujita (also known as Fujita Tsuguharu) and the Nika Society to encompass surrealism . To promote these trends, the Independent Art Association was formed in 1930. Showa period — Encyclopedia of Japan 1926 – 1989 Overview of the Showa period The Showa period ("period of enlightened peace/harmony" or "period of radiant Japan"), is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Showa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926, through January 7, 1989. The Showa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor.

During the pre-1945 period, Japan moved into political totalitarianism, ultranationalism and fascism culminating in Japan's invasion of China in 1937. This was part of an overall global period of social upheavals and conflicts such as the Great Depression and the Second World War. Defeat in the Second World War brought about radical change to Japan. For the first and only time in its history, Japan was occupied by foreign powers; this occupation lasted seven years. Allied occupation brought forth sweeping democratic reforms. It led to the end of the emperor's status as a living god and the transformation of Japan into a democracy with a constitutional monarch. In 1952, with the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan became a sovereign nation once more. The post-war Showa period also led to the Japanese economic miracle. Washington Conference to Mukden Incident After World War I, the Western Powers, influenced by Wilsonian ideology, attempted an effort at general disarmament. At the Washington Naval Conference of 1921–1922, the Great Powers met to set limits on naval armament.

The Five Power Naval Limitation Agreement worked out in Washington limited competition in battleships and aircraft carriers to a ratio of 5:5:3 for the United Kingdom, the United States, and Japan respectively. Japanese ultra-nationalists viewed this as an attempt by Western powers to curb Japanese expansionism in an area of the globe over which they had no interest. But, those in power in Japan readily agreed to the disarmament, realizing that the global taste for war had been soured after the First World War and knowing that, the ratio was sufficient to maintain hegemony in the Pacific. In 1924, however, friendly U. S. -Japanese relations were torpedoed by the Japanese Exclusion Act. The act closed off Japanese immigration to the United States and dropped Japanese immigrants to the level of other Asians (who were already excluded). The overwhelming reaction in Japan, both at the highest levels and in mass rallies that reflected angry public opinion, was hostile and sustained. Commentators suggested the opening guns of a race war and called for a new buildup of the Japanese armed forces. Meanwhile, the London Naval Treaty was ratified in 1930. Its purpose was to extend the Washington Treaty System.

The Japanese government had desired to raise their ratio to 10:10:7, but this proposal was swiftly countered by the United States. Thanks to back-room dealing and other intrigues, though, Japan walked away with a 5:4 advantage in heavy cruisers, but this small gesture would not satisfy the populace of Japan which was gradually falling under the spell of the various ultra-nationalist groups spawning throughout the country. As a result of his failings regarding the London Naval Treaty, Prime Minister Hamaguchi Osachi was shot on November 14, 1930 by an ultranationalist and died in 1931. By this time, the civilian government had lost control of the populace. A New York Times correspondent called Japan a country ruled by "government by assassination. " The army, moving independently of the proper government of Japan, took the opportunity to invade Manchuria in the Summer of 1931. Since the Russo-Japanese War of 1905, Japan had maintained a military presence in Manchuria. After a small explosion on the tracks of a Japanese railway, north of Mukden, the Japanese army mobilized the Kwantung Army and attacked Chinese troops.

The Minseito government, headed by Hamaguchi's successor, Wakatsuki Reijirō was unable to curb the army's offensive. The Kwantung Army conquered all of Manchuria and set up the puppet state of Manchukuo. The Diet, now dominated by army officials, voted to withdraw from the League of Nations. The first seeds of the coming conflict had been sown. Rise of nationalism Prior to 1868, most Japanese more readily identified with their feudal domain rather than the idea of "Japan" as a whole. When the Tokugawa bakufu was overthrown, the leaders of the revolt, Satsuma and Chōshū were ideologically opposed to the house of Tokugawa since the Battle of Sekigahara. The Meiji period changed all of that. With the introduction of mass education, conscription, industrialization, centralization, and successful foreign wars, Japanese nationalism began to foment as a powerful force in society. Mass education and conscription served as a means to indoctrinate the coming generation with "the idea of Japan" as a nation instead of a series of daimyō.

In this way, loyalty to feudal domains was supplanted with loyalty to the state. Industrialization and centralization gave Japanese a strong sense that their country could rival Western powers technologically and socially. Moreover, successful foreign wars gave the populace a sense of martial pride in their nation. The rise of Japanese nationalism paralleled the growth of nationalism within the West. Certain conservatives such as Gondō Seikei and Asahi Heigo saw the rapid industrialization of Japan as something that had to be tempered. It seemed, for a time, that Japan was becoming too "Westernized" and that if left unimpeded, something intrinsically Japanese would be lost. During the Meiji period, such nationalists railed against the unequal treaties, but in the years following the First World War, Western criticism of Japanese imperial ambitions and restrictions on Japanese immigration changed the focus of the nationalist movement in Japan. Japanese nationalism was buoyed by a romantic concept of Bushidō and driven by a modern concern for rapid industrial development and strategic dominance in East Asia. It saw the Triple Intervention of 1895 as a threat to Japanese survival in East Asia and warned that the "ABCD Powers" (Americans, British, Chinese, and Dutch) were threatening the Empire of Japan.

Their only solution was conquest and war. During the first part of the Showa era, racial discrimination against other Asians was habitual in Imperial Japan, having begun with the start of Japanese colonialism. The Showa regime thus preached racial superiority and racialist theories, based on sacred nature of the Yamato-damashii. One of Emperor Showa's teachers, historian Kurakichi Shiratori, remarked, "Therefore nothing in the world compares to the divine nature (shinsei) of the imperial house and likewise the majesty of our national polity (kokutai). Here is one great reason for Japan's superiority. " The Anti-Comintern Pact brought Nazi ideologues to Japan who attempted but ultimately failed to inject Nazi-style anti-Semitic arguments into mainstream public discussion. Where the government presented the popular image of Jews, it was not so much to persecute but to strengthen domestic ideological uniformity. The anti-Semitic policies of Adolf Hitler's Nazi Germany were refused when foreign minister of Japan Yōsuke Matsuoka stated that: "Nowhere have I promised that we would carry out his anti-Semitic policies in Japan.

This is not simply my personal opinion, it is the opinion of Japan, and I have no compunction about announcing it to the world. " Imperial Japanese Army general Kiichiro Higuchi and colonel Norihiro Yasue allowed 20,000 Jews to enter Manchukuo in 1938. Higuchi and Yasue were well regarded for their actions and were subsequently invited to the independence ceremonies of the State of Israel. Diplomat Chiune Sugihara wrote travel visas for over 6,000 Lithuanian Jews to flee the German occupation and travel to Japan. In 1985, Israel honored him as Righteous Among the Nations for his actions. Changing to the military state The withdrawal from the League of Nations meant that Japan was politically isolated. Japan had no strong allies and its actions had been internationally condemned, whilst internally popular nationalism was booming. Local leaders, such as mayors, teachers, and Shinto priests were recruited by the various movements to indoctrinate the populace with ultra-nationalist ideals. They had little time for the pragmatic ideas of the business elite and party politicians. Their loyalty lay to the Emperor and the military.

In March 1932 the "League of Blood" assassination plot and the chaos surrounding the trial of its conspirators further eroded the rule of democratic law in Showa Japan. In May of the same year a group of right-wing Army and Navy officers succeeded in assassinating the Prime Minister (Inukai Tsuyoshi). The plot fell short of staging a complete coup d'état, but it effectively ended rule by political parties in Japan. From 1932 to 1936, the country was governed by admirals. Mounting nationalist sympathies led to chronic instability in government. Moderate policies were difficult to enforce. The crisis culminated on February 26, 1936. In what became known as the February 26 Incident, about 1,500 ultranationalist army troops marched on central Tokyo. Their mission was to assassinate the government and promote a "Showa Restoration". Prime Minister Okada survived the attempted coup by hiding in a storage shed in his house, but the coup only ended when the Emperor personally ordered an end to the bloodshed. Within the state, the idea of a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere began to foment.

The nationalists believed that the "ABCD powers" (Americans, British, Chinese, Dutch) were a threat to all Asians and that Asia could only survive by following the Japanese example. Japan had been the only Asian and non-Western power to industrialize itself successfully and rival great Western empires. While largely described by contemporary Western observers as a front for the expansion of the Japanese army, the idea behind the Co-Prosperity Sphere was that Asia would be united against the Western powers and Western Imperialism under the auspices of the Japanese. The idea drew influence in the paternalistic aspects of Confucianism and Koshitsu Shinto. Thus, the main goal of the Sphere was the hakkō ichiu, the unification of the eight corners of the world under the rule (kōdō) of the Emperor. The reality during this period differed from the propaganda. Some nationalities and ethnic groups were marginalized, and during rapid military expansion into foreign countries, the Imperial General Headquarters tolerated many atrocities against local populations, such as the experimentations of unit 731, the sanko sakusen, the use of chemical and biological weapons and civilian massacres such as those in Nanjing, Singapore and Manila.

Second Sino-Japanese War On July 7, 1937, at the Marco Polo Bridge, the Japanese Kwantung army stationed there used explosions heard on the Chinese side of Manchuria as a pretext for invasion. The invasion led to a large scale war approved by the Emperor and called a "holy war" (Seisen) in Imperial propaganda. At the time, China was divided internally between the Communist Party of China (CPC) which was under the leadership of Mao Zedong and the Nationalist government of China, the Kuomintang (KMT) under the leadership of Chiang Kai-shek. The years of 1937–38 were a time of rapid and remarkable success by the Japanese, who had a number of advantages over the Chinese army. While the Japanese army possessed a smaller force of armour and artillery than many Western powers, it was far ahead of China in this respect, and was also in command of the world's third largest navy with 2,700 watercraft at its disposal. By the end of July 1937, the Japanese had slaughtered the elite 29th Army at Kupeikou and soon captured Beijing.

From there, the Japanese advanced down south through the major railway lines (Peiping-Suiyan, Peiping-Hankow, and Tientsin-Pukow). These were easily conquered by the superior Japanese army. By October, Chiang Kai-shek's best armies had been defeated at Shanghai. By the end of the year, the Chinese capital at Nanjing had also been seized. The use of brutal scorched earth tactics by both sides, the Chinese as in 1938 Yellow River flood and later by the Japanese with the Three Alls Policy, "kill all, burn all, loot all", initiated in 1940, claimed millions of lives. The Chinese nationalists resorted to massive civilian guerrilla tactics, which fatigued and frustrated Japanese forces. Countless Chinese civilians were executed on the suspicion of being resistance fighters. Japanese war crimes at Nanking and other sites in China and Manchukuo have been well documented.

On December 13, 1937, the Imperial Japanese Army, following the capture of Nanjing, Japanese soldiers began the Nanjing Massacre (sometimes called the "Rape of Nanking"), which resulted in a massive number of civilian deaths including infants and elderly, and the large-scale rape of Chinese women. The exact number of casualties is an issue of fierce debate between Chinese and Japanese historians. By 1939, the Japanese war effort had become a stalemate. The Japanese army had seized most of the vital cities in China, including Shanghai, Nanjing, Beijing, and Wuhan. The Nationalists and the Communists, however, fought on from Chongqing and Yenan, respectively. Second World War Negotiations for a German-Japanese alliance began in 1937 with the onset of hostilities between Japan and China. On September 27, 1940 the Tripartite Pact was signed, creating the Rome-Tokyo-Berlin Axis. The quagmire in China did not stall imperial ambitions for the creation of a Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Indeed, the Second Sino-Japanese War fuelled the need for oil that could be found in the Dutch East Indies. After Imperial General Headquarters refused to remove its troops from China (excluding Manchukuo) and French Indochina, Franklin Delano Roosevelt announced in July 1941 an oil embargo on Japan. Using that as a justification for war, Imperial General Headquarters launched the so-called Greater East Asia War which began with a surprise attack on the U. S. naval base at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. For the next six months, the Japanese had the initiative and went on the offensive. Hong Kong was overrun on December 8, 1941. By the summer of 1942, the Japanese had conquered Burma, Siam, the Dutch East Indies, and the Philippines. The decisive naval/aerial Battle of Midway that took place in early June 1942, however, changed the momentum of the war. Japan was put on the defensive as the Americans pursued their policy of island hopping at their leisure.

Tokyo was repeatedly firebombed in 1945 and in the early spring and summer of 1945, Iwo Jima and Okinawa were seized by the Americans. Finally, the death agony of the Empire of Japan came in August 1945. On August 6, an atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima, instantly killing approximately 70,000 people when the attack took place (plus another estimated 130,000 by 1960 due to after-effects). On August 8, the Soviet Union invaded Manchukuo. The following day, a second atomic bomb was dropped on Nagasaki, killing approximately 40,000 people. The government of the Empire of Japan surrendered on August 14. The official surrender ceremony was held on September 2. Total Japanese military fatalities between 1937 and 1945 were 2. 1 million; most came in the last year of the war. Starvation or malnutrition-related illness accounted for roughly 80 percent of Japanese military deaths in the Philippines, and 50 percent of military fatalities in China.

The aerial bombing of a total of 69 Japanese cities appears to have taken a minimum of 400,000 and possibly closer to 600,000 civilian lives (over 100,000 in Tokyo alone, over 200,000 in Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined, and 80,000–150,000 civilian deaths in the battle of Okinawa). Civilian death among settlers who died attempting to return to Japan from Manchuria in the winter of 1945 were probably around 100,000. Defeat and Allied occupation of Japan With the defeat of the Empire of Japan, the Allied Powers dissolved the Empire of Japan. The Soviet Union was made responsible for North Korea, and annexed the Kuril Islands and the southern portion of the island of Sakhalin. The United States took responsibility for the rest of Japan's possessions in Oceania. China, meanwhile, plunged into civil war, with the Communists in control by 1949.

General Douglas MacArthur was put in charge of the Allied Occupation of Japan as the Supreme Commander of the Allied Powers; he and his staff exerted wide but indirect power, for the decisions were carried out by Japanese officials. Japan's military was disarmed completely and the absoluteness of the emperor was repealed by the Postwar Constitution. Article 9 of the Postwar Constitution prevented Japan from ever waging war on a foreign nation. A War Crimes Tribunal, similar to that at Nuremberg, was set up in Tokyo. Several prominent members of the Japanese cabinet were executed, most notably former Prime Minister Tojo Hideki. But the Emperor was neither tried at the Tokyo trials nor dethroned, nor any members of the imperial family. Under the Postwar Constitution, the Japanese Emperor was reduced to a figurehead nominal monarch without divine characteristics and is forbidden to play a role in politics. MacArthur sought to break the power of the zaibatsu; Japan was democratized and liberalized along American "New Deal" liberal lines. Parliamentary party politics was restored. Old left-wing organizations such as the Social Democratic Party and the Japanese Communist Party reasserted themselves.

The first postwar elections were held in 1946, and for the first time women were allowed to vote. By the late 1940s there were two conservative parties (Japan Democratic Party and Liberal Party); they merged in 1955 as the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP). By 1955 the political system stabilized in what was called the 1955 System. The two chief parties were the conservative LDP and the leftist Social Democratic Party. Throughout the period 1955 to 2007, the LDP was dominant (with a brief interlude in 1993-94). The LDP was pro-business, pro-American, and had a strong rural base. Yoshida Shigeru was elected as Prime Minister of Japan. His policy, known as the "Yoshida Doctrine" emphasized military reliance on the United States and promoted unrestrained economic growth. As Cold War tensions rose, the United States and Japan signed the Treaty of San Francisco, which came into force on April 28, 1952. Japan became a sovereign nation once more.

The "Japanese Miracle" Japan's remarkable economic growth in the decades following 1950 have been called the "Japanese Miracle," as the economy grew three times faster than other major nations. It was achieved virtually without foreign capital. The miracle slackened off in 1973 in the face of an upsurge in oil prices and the destabilization of international trade. By the mid-1990s the economy entered an era of stagnation and low growth that still persists. Okita Saburo (1914–93), an economist, realized by 1942 that the war was lost; he prepared a plan for Japan's postwar economic recovery that was published in 1945 as "The Fundamental Directions for the Reconstruction of the Japanese Economy. " He became foreign minister in 1979 and endeavored to integrate Japan economically and politically with the world economy. From 1950 onward, Japan rebuilt itself politically and economically. Sugita finds that, "The 1950s was a decade during which Japan formulated a unique corporate capitalist system in which government, business, and labor implemented close and intricate cooperation.

" Japan's newfound economic power soon gave it far more dominance than it ever had militarily. The Yoshida Doctrine and the Japanese government's economic intervention, spurred on an economic miracle on par with the record of West Germany. The Japanese government strove to spur industrial development through a mix of protectionism and trade expansion. The establishment of the Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) was instrumental in the Japanese post-war economic recovery. By 1954, the MITI system was in full effect. It coordinated industry and government action and fostered cooperative arrangements, and sponsored research to develop promising exports as well as imports for which substitutes would be sought (especially dyestuffs, iron and steel, and soda ash). Yoshida's successor, Hayato Ikeda, began implementing economic policies which removed much of Japan's anti-monopoly laws. Foreign companies were locked out of the Japanese market and strict protectionist laws were enacted. Meanwhile, the United States under President Eisenhower saw Japan as the economic anchor for Western Cold War policy in Asia. Japan was completely demilitarized and did not contribute to military power, but did provide the economic power.

The US and UN forces used Japan as their forward logistics base during the Korean War (1950–53), and orders for supplies flooded Japan. The close economic relationship strengthened the political and diplomatic ties, so that the two nations survived a political crisis in 1960 involving left-wing opposition to the U. S. -Japan Security Treaty. The left failed to force the removal of large American military bases in Japan, especially on Okinawa. Shimizu argues that the American policy of creating "people of plenty" was a success in Japan and reached its goal of defusing anti-capitalist protest on the left. By the late years of the Showa period, Japan's economy was the second largest in the world after the United States. It kept this position until 2011, when the economy of China surpassed it. Hirohito, 124th Emperor of Japan, Is Dead at 87 Hirohito, 124th Emperor of Japan, Is Dead at 87 By SUSAN CHIRA, Special to the New York Times Emperor Hirohito, the last of the World War II leaders and Japan's longest-reigning monarch, died today at the Imperial Palace.

He was 87 years old. In his 62-year reign, the Emperor presided over the most tumultuous era in Japan's modern history, although like most of the 123 emperors before him, he watched more than he acted. During his reign, his nation embraced militarism, conquered much of Asia, waged war on the Allied Powers, suffered the world's first atomic bombing, and painfully rebuilt, rising in just four decades to become the world's most vibrant economic power. Hirohito's death came at 6:33 A.M. (4:33 P.M. Friday, Eastern standard time) after more than a year of declining health. He had been confined to his bed for more than three months. Akihito Becomes Emperor Because Japanese tradition decrees that the Chrysanthemum Throne may not be empty, Crown Prince Akihito, Hirohito's 55-year-old son, became Japan's 125th Emperor. In a ceremony as ancient as his title, Akihito received two of the Imperial treasures - a sword and a jewel - and received the Imperial seal and the seal of state.

Shoichi Fujimori, the grand steward of the Imperial Household Agency, announced the Emperor's death at 7:55 A.M. and revealed for the first time that Hirohito had been suffering from cancer of the duodenum, a section of the small intestine. ''The whole nation is deeply saddened by his death,'' the steward said, using a special honorific verb reserved for the death of an emperor. ''Despite the concerted efforts of medical treatment, finally today His Majesty passed away from a tumor in the duodenum.'' The Emperor's chief physician, Akira Takagi, told reporters this morning that doctors had known Hirohito had cancer in September 1987, after they had operated on his pancreas. But, he said, the doctors lied about that fact to prevent the Emperor from learning that he had cancer. In Japan, cancer patients are usually not told that they have the disease. Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita, dressed in a black suit with black armbands, said: ''The sad news of the passing of His late Majesty the Emperor has left me grief-stricken.

Our sincere prayers for his recovery were in vain, and I am at a loss for words.'' There has been no official announcement of the date of the funeral, but Government officials have decided that it will be held 40 to 50 days after Hirohito's death. This morning, the Cabinet decided to call a six-day official mourning period, during which all Government agencies will refrain from music and dancing and will fly flags. For private citizens and private companies, the Government is suggesting a two-day mourning period. This morning, the flags outside the Imperial Household Agency were draped with black bunting. As news of Hirohito's death spread, many Japanese throughout Tokyo put flags outside their homes and businesses. An elderly woman hoisted a flag to half-staff outside a sushi shop, radio stations played classical music and a crowd gathered near the Imperial Palace. A large contingent of riot police officers were deployed to guard against anti-imperial demonstrations or the possibility that avid followers might commit suicide. No Shinto Rites Planned According to the Japanese television network NHK, the state funeral will not follow the Shinto rituals performed when the Emperor Taisho, Hirohito's father, died.

Because Japan has since adopted a new, democratic Constitution, the Government wants to distinguish all the ceremonies surrounding Hirohito's death and Akihito's ascension from the past, when Shinto was the state religion. But many traditions are being honored. This morning at the Imperial Palace, Mr. Takeshita, members of his Cabinet, the speakers of both houses of the legislature and other officials, clad in morning coats, watched the brief and ancient ritual that passes to the new Emperor two of Japan's three sacred treasures. As Akihito stood on a white rug in front of a white and gold throne, Imperial Household Agency chamberlains bowed twice, then held up a sword and a jewel, wrapped in embroidered cloth and tied with a purple cord. Another chamberlain then placed the Imperial and state seals, wrapped in purple coth and stamped in gold with the Chrysanthemum crest, before Akihito. He bowed, and then stood as Mr. Takeshita and other Government officials bowed deeply before him.

Then a chamberlain picked up the sword with both hands and walked out, followed first by Akihito and then by other chamberlains bearing the jewel and the imperial and state seals wrapped in purple cloth and stamped in gold with the chrysanthemum crest. Japanese are now mourning the end of an era: Showa, or Enlightened Peace, the title by which Hirohito will henceforth be known. That was the title chosen for Hirohito's reign when he succeeded his father, the Emperor Taisho, at the age of 25 on Dec. 25, 1926. This afternoon, the Government said the new era name will be Heisei, which roughly translates as ''the achievement of peace.'' Chief Cabinet Secretary Keizo Obuchi, explaining the choice, said the new coinage expressed the hope that ''both within the country and outside, on heaven and on earth, peace will be achieved.'' When Hirohito ascended the throne, his subjects revered him as a descendant of Amaterasu, the sun goddess who, according to Japanese mythology, created the Japanese archipelago from the drops of water that fell from her spear.

Fueled by militarist propaganda that drew on these myths, more than two million soldiers died in his name. 'Endure the Unendurable' But on Aug. 15, 1945, that myth was shattered as his subjects heard Hirohito's voice for the first time. He announced Japan's surrender on the radio and called on the Japanese to ''endure the unendurable.'' Now, he told his countrymen in a second precedent-shattering announcement five months later, the people were sovereign and the Emperor was not divine. Thus Akihito becomes the first Emperor to be installed since Japan was transformed into a constitutional democracy under the American Occupation at the end of World War II. Eleven years old at the end of the war, the young Crown Prince diligently prepared himself to become Emperor in the new democratic era, studying English with an American tutor and becoming the first heir to the throne to marry a commoner. The new Emperor is only the fourth in 120 years since Japan opened itself to the world, abandoned feudalism and began its industrial drive under his great-grandfather, the Emperor Meiji. Hirohito's long illness left his nation prepared for his death.

Until the last two years, he had been vital, pursuing his avocation as a marine biologist, walking in his garden, and waving at the public a few times a year from the balcony at the Imperial Palace. Surgery in 1987 But in September 1987 he underwent surgery on his pancreas, the first operation ever performed on a Japanese emperor. He appeared to rally from the operation successfully. But last year, he began to grow thinner and had to cancel several public appearances. On the night of Sept. 19 he vomited blood, and the nation began a tense, televised vigil. Crews of reporters camped out at the Imperial Palace, reporting his temperature, blood pressure, pulse, and respiration rate throughout his final illness. As the Emperor's condition worsened, Government officials canceled trips abroad, public figures put off weddings and other celebrations, and cities around the country canceled autumn festivals. For a while, Japan seemed suspended in time, forced to face the prospect of life without the only emperor most of the nation had ever known.

As Hirohito lingered, receiving blood transfusions almost daily, his erratic blood pressure and other vital signs dutifully reported several times a day, the public's initial wave of emotion subsided somewhat. This morning, Mr. Takeshita said: ''Our country has since pursued the realization of peace and democracy under the new constitution. It has achieved remarkable progress by virtue of the untiring efforts of our people and has now become an important member of the international community. I feel most keenly that these achievements have been made possible by the presence of His Late Majesty as the symbol of the state and of the unity of the people.'' REAGAN SENDS CONDOLENCES WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Special to The New York Times) - President Reagan tonight extended condolences to the Emperor's family and to the people of Japan after Hirohito's death was announced. ''His Majesty's 62-year reign spanned one of the most tumultuous, and yet at the same time constructive, eras in the history of mankind - an age of unprecedented economic collapse, and most vicious war, astonishing scientific achievement, and dramatic political and social changes throughout the world,'' said Mr.

Reagan, who added that he had enjoyed several meetings with the Emperor, most recently in Tokyo in 1986. Saying the Emperor played a ''truly heroic role'' in bringing an end to the war, Mr. Reagan added, ''We shall long remember him for his contributions which strengthened the United States-Japan relationship and set a future course of continued close and friendly relations.'' The statement was issued after the President entered Walter Reed Army Medical Center for surgery. Marlin Fitzwater, the White House press secretary, said no decision had been made on who would represent the United States at the Emperor's funeral. He noted that the funeral would probably be scheduled for ''some period that would take us into the next Administration.'' Showa | Define Showa at Dictionary.com Showa the designation of the period of the reign of Emperor Hirohito, begun in 1926. Hirohito [heer-oh-hee-toh; Japanese hee-raw-hee-taw] /ˌhɪər oʊˈhi toʊ; Japanese ˈhi rɔˈhi tɔ/ Spell ("Showa") 1901–89, emperor of Japan 1926–89.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Examples from the Web for Showa Expand British Dictionary definitions for Showa Expand 1901–89, emperor of Japan 1926–89. In 1946 he became a constitutional monarch Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012 Expand Hirohito [(heer-oh-hee-toh)] Japanese emperor who came to the throne in the 1920s. He reigned over the Japanese in World War II . After the war, he was forced to give up the claim to divine status that previous emperors had made. He died in 1989, after long outliving all the other major figures associated with the war. The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved. How to Pronounce Showa (period) - YouTube How to Pronounce Showa (period) Want to watch this again later? Sign in to add this video to a playlist. Need to report the video? Sign in to report inappropriate content. Rating is available when the video has been rented. This feature is not available right now. Please try again later. Published on Sep 11, 2014 Learn how to say Showa with Japanese accent. Showa (shouwa): In Japanese, it can be written as 昭和 . "The Shōwa period (昭和時代 Shōwa jidai), or Shōwa era, is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of the Shōwa Emperor, Hirohito, from December 25, 1926, through January 7, 1989. The Shōwa period was longer than the reign of any previous Japanese emperor. During the pre-1945 period, Japan moved into political totalitarianism, ultranationalism and fascism culminating in Japan's invasion of China in 1937.

This was part of an overall global period of social upheavals and conflicts such as the Great Depression and the Second World War. Defeat in the Second World War brought about radical change to Japan. For the first and only time in its history, Japan was occupied by foreign powers; this occupation lasted seven years. Allied occupation brought forth sweeping democratic reforms. It led to the end of the emperor's status as a living god and the transformation of Japan into a democracy with a constitutional monarch. In 1952, with the Treaty of San Francisco, Japan became a sovereign nation once more. The post-war Shōwa period also led to the Japanese economic miracle.

In these ways, the pre-1945 and post-war periods regard completely different states: the pre-1945 Shōwa period (1926–1945) concerns the Empire of Japan, while post-1945 Shōwa period (1945–1989) was a part of the State of Japan." - from Wikipedia For more pronunciation of Japanese words, please check: Showa Era: 1925-1989 Showa Era: 1925-1989 After the Taisho Emperor died in 1911 the next Emperor, Hirohito (ruled 1926-1989), started the Showa Era. This was a period of great suffering for the Japanese. Economic depression spread, exports declined and bankruptcies became frequent. The U.S. tried to reign in the Japanese influence. Bills were passed to prevent Japanese immigration to the U.S. China attempted to kick out the Japanese and the main party government was unable to handle the problems. Politicians and family-controlled monopolies, interested only in financial gain, ignore the sufferings of the average person.

Right-wing assassinations and military coups are staged and a policy of aggressive expansion towards China is adopted. The Japanese withdrew from the League of Nations and fell more and more under the control of right-wing militarist expansionists. Eventually this led to war with the U.S. and a temporary expansion of the Japanese Empire but eventually the defeat of the country. Particular dates of importance 1926: Emperor Yoshihito dies. Hirohito becomes Emperor. 1927: Financial crisis arises due to run on banks caused by the 1923 earthquake 1928: Japan signs Kellogg-Briand Pact which advocates the settlement of international disputes without recourse to war 1928: Mass arrests of communists and other political activists. 1929: Economic panic. 1930: Naval disarmament treaty signed by U.S., Japan, Britain, Italy and France. 1931: Japanese stage a military takeover of Manchuria. Japan abandons the gold standard. Mukden occupied by Japanese troops. 1932: Puppet state of Manchukuo is established. Japanese troops occupy chinchow. Sino-Japanese hostilities at Shanghai.

1932: the Ministry of Education begins a school lunch program to combat child malnutrition. 1933, Mar. 27: Japan withdraws from the League of Nations 1933: The USSR offers to sell C.E. Railway to Japan. 1934, Dec. 29: Japan cancels Washington naval treaty 1934: Pu Yi crowned as Emperor of the Empire of Manchutikuo. Japan's population exceeds 65 million. 1936, Nov. 25: Japan signs Anti-Comintern Pact with Germany 1936: coup attempt by military officers is foiled. 1937: Japan invades China, resulting in the deaths of millions of Chinese. 1937:League of Japanese Women's Organizations is founded. Japanese capture Shanghai. Nanking captured Dec. 13th. 1938: Japanese forces occupy Canton and Hankou. 1939: Japanese troops defeated by Russian toops in Mongolia. 1939: Religous Organizations Law extends government control over religious groups. 1940, Sept. 27: Japan, Germany and Italy sign the Tripartite Pact.

1940: The Olympics are cancelled, being originally scheduled to take place in Tokyo. 1940:Jazz performances are banned and Tokyo's dance halls are closed. Japan invades Indo-China and joins the Axis Pact. 1941, April 13: Japan and Russia sign a neutrality agreement July, 1941: Japanese troops invade Indochina. In retaliation Britain, the U.S. and the Netherlands freeze all Japanese assets and put into effect an economic blockade. The oil supply for Japan becomes a problem; at the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor the Japanese possess only enough oil for a few weeks supply. 1941: Japan launches attack on Pearl Harbor and U.S. enters the war. Japanese army attacks Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaya. 1941: The Japanese government labels the war the "Greater East Asia War". 1941: Potatoes begin to be used as a substitute for rice in Japan. 1942: U.S. ambassador expelled from Japan. 1942-1943: After victory after victory the Japanese are stopped at the Battle of Midway. "Island-hopping" military strategy is adopted by the U.S.

and its allies. 1943: A plane carrying Admiral Yamamoto is shot down by American planes. 1944: The Cabinet decides to begin evacuation of schoolchildren from cities. 1944: Tojo resigns as Prime Minister. 1944, late: The first kamikaze pilots begin their attacks on U.S. ships.All toll around 5,000 pilots died during their missions; U.S. losses were moderately heavy. Plans existed for a type of piloted suicide rocket plane, but those were not ready in time to make a difference. 1945: The situation for Japan becomes bleak, although the truth of the military defeats is kept from the Japanese people. The Japanese media refer to the military retreats as "advances in a backward direction." (I'm not making this up; I found this in a book on the history of Japan.) 1945: Iwo Jima is taken by U.S. forces, then Manila and Okinawa. 1945: Bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki with atomic bombs.

Invasion of Japan was scheduled for November of 1945 but the war ended in August.There is some reluctance to surrender by some of the Japanese ministers, but the Emperor casts the deciding vote for surrender. Allies occupy Japan. 1945, Aug. 14: Japan surrenders, ending WWII 1945, Aug. 15: Emperor Hirohito makes his first radio broadcast to the country announcing that Japan has surrendered 1945, Sept. 2: Documents of surrender signed aboard the U.S.S.Missouri 1945: The New Japan Women's League is established, and women get the right to vote. 1946-1948: Tokyo War Crimes trials. Individuals involved in Unit 731 and like groups are not put on trial. Tojo and six others are sentenced to death. State Shinto disestablished. 1947: A new democratic Constitution goes into effect. 1950: National Police Reserve is established. 1951, Sept.8: Peace treaty between Japan and the Allies and a Japan-U.S> Security Treaty is signed in San Francisco 1952: U.S. occupation of Japan ends.

1952: Japan joins the World Bank and the IMF. 1954: National Police Reserves becomes the Self-Denfense Force. 1955: The Japan Socialist Party and the Liberal Democratic Party are formed. 1955: The Bunraku Liberation League name is adopted by the former All-Japan Committee for Buraku Liberation. 1956: Japan enters the United Nations 1960: Renewal of U.S.-Japanese Mutual Security Treaty sparks protests. 1960-1970: Japan's economy grows at an annual rate of 10.4 percent. 1963, Aug. 14: Japan signs partial nuclear test ban treaty 1964: The bullet train starts its run between Tokyo and Osaka. Japan hosts the Olympics. 1965, June 22: Japan establishes diplomatic relations with the Republic of Korea 1968: Japan's Gross National Product becomes the second-largest in the world 1968-1969: A decade of student unrest leads to the closing of some fifty Japanese universities. 1968, April 5: Agreement with U.S.

for return of the Ogasawara Islands to Japan on June 26. 1969, Nov. 21: Japan signs joint statement with U.S> on return of Okinawa to Japan. 1970: A series of environmental laws are passed. 1970's: American fast-food restaurants begin to make inroads into the Japanese market. 1971, June 17: Treaty for return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty is signed 1972: Japan resumes diplomatic and trade relations with China. 1972: Okinawa is returned to Japan. 1973-1974: Arab oil embargo has negative effects on Japanese economy. 1974, Nov. 18: Gerald Ford becomes the first U.S. president to visit Japan while still in office 1975, Sept. 30-Oct. 14: Emperor Hirohito pays a state visit to the U.S. 1976, June 8: Japan ratifies the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty 1978: New Tokyo International Airport opens. 1978: Japan and China sign a peace and friendship treaty.1980, Feb.

1: Japan protests the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan and decides to boycott the Moscow Olympic Games 1982/1983: Japan is visited by a swarm of diplomats including French President Mitterrand, Chinese Premier Zhao Ziyang, British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher, West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Hu Yaobang and Ronald Reagen. 1988, April 22: Cabinet Minister Seisuke Okuno claims Japan was not the aggressor nation in the invasion of China in the 1930's nor in World War II. International protests take place. 1989: 3% consumption tax is introduced. 1989: Emperor Horohito dies.Emperor Akihito becomes the 125th Japanese emperor.

Question: The Showa period of Japan coincided with what Emperor's reign?
Answer: Hirohito