History - Modern and Contemporary Japan and the World
History - Modern and Contemporary Japan and the World covers Meiji through the present, including Japan’s wars, occupation, postwar growth, and global role. Questions ask for turning points and comparison.
Core rules and concepts
- Meiji Restoration (1868): abolition of domains (1871), conscription, compulsory education, and the Meiji Constitution (1889). Japan industrialized and expanded: Sino-Japanese War (1894–95), Russo-Japanese War (1904–05), annexation of Korea (1910).
- Taisho democracy widened politics; militarism deepened in the 1930s; WWII ended in 1945. Occupation reforms demilitarized and democratized Japan; the 1947 Constitution established popular sovereignty, rights, and pacifism.
- San Francisco Peace (1951) restored sovereignty in 1952. High growth followed; 1964 Tokyo Olympics symbolized recovery. Oil shocks, the bubble, and the “lost decades” reshaped the economy; aging and the 2011 disaster are central issues.
Worked example
Compare the Meiji and postwar constitutions: sovereignty moved from emperor to people; rights changed from subjects’ limited rights to fundamental human rights; the military moved from cabinet independence to civilian control under the Diet and cabinet. A strong answer names the institution and the principle, not just “more democratic.”
Traps that cost marks
Do not say Japan became a democracy only after 1945; limited parliamentary politics existed earlier. Do not confuse 1951 peace treaty with 1952 effect. Do not treat high growth as uninterrupted; the oil shocks mattered.