Empire of Japan - Wikipedia

What were the formal start and end dates of the historical period defining the Empire of Japan?

It began on January 3, 1868, with the Meiji Restoration and officially ended on May 3, 1947, with the ratification of the Constitution of Japan.

What official motto was adopted by the Empire of Japan between 1936 and 1947?

八紘一宇 ("Hakkō ichiu"), translating to "Eight Crown Cords, One Roof".

Who served as the first and last Prime Ministers of the Empire of Japan?

Itō Hirobumi was the first ($1885–1888$) and Shigeru Yoshida was the last ($1946–1947$).

What two core slogans guided Japan's industrialization and military expansion following the Boshin War?

"Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Armed Forces" (fukoku kyōhei) and "Promote Industry" (shokusan kōgyō).

Which agreement ended Japan's two-century seclusion policy (sakoku) in 1854?

The Convention of Kanagawa, signed after the arrival of American commander Matthew C. Perry.

What was the political slogan of the xenophobic movement that arose against the shogunate's unequal treaties?

Sonnō jōi, meaning "Revere the Emperor, expel the barbarians".

Which early battle of the Boshin War resulted in a decisive victory for the Imperial alliance over the Tokugawa forces?

The Battle of Toba–Fushimi.

What were the primary objectives of the Iwakura Mission dispatched abroad in 1871?

To attempt renegotiation of unequal treaties with Western nations and to observe foreign social and economic systems to modernize Japan.

What territorial exchange was established between Japan and Russia in the 1875 delimitation treaty?

Japan acquired all of the Kuril islands in exchange for Sakhalin island.

What dress reform was mandated for the samurai class under the Dampatsurei Edict of 1871?

Samurai men were required to cut their hair short, abolishing the traditional chonmage hairstyle.

What currency standard was established by the New Currency Act of Meiji 4 (1871)?

It abolished local feudal currencies and introduced the yen as the decimal currency, set at parity with the Mexican silver dollar.

Which territories did Qing China cede to the Empire of Japan under the Treaty of Shimonoseki in 1895?

The Liaodong Peninsula and the island of Taiwan.

Which European coalition forced Japan to return the Liaodong Peninsula during the Triple Intervention?

Russia, Germany, and France.

What total contingent of military forces did Japan supply to the international coalition during the 1900 Boxer Rebellion?

$20{,}840$ personnel (composed of $20{,}300$ army troops from the 5th Infantry Division and $540$ naval rikusentai) and $18$ warships.

Under the Treaty of Portsmouth (1905), what territorial concessions did Russia surrender to Japan?

Mineral rights in Manchuria and Sakhalin Island south of $50^\natural\text{N}$ latitude, which became Karafuto Prefecture.

What was the name of the secret demands presented to Chinese President Yuan Shikai on May 9, 1915?

The Twenty-One Demands, which aimed to make China a de facto protectorate of Japan.

How significantly did the March 1925 universal male suffrage law expand the Japanese electorate?

By extending voting rights to non-homeless male subjects over $25$ with at least one year of local residency, the electorate expanded from $3.3\text{ million}$ to $12.5\text{ million}$.

What specific acts did the 1925 Peace Preservation Law criminalize?

Forming or participating in associations that sought to alter the kokutai (national polity) or abolish private property.

Who was the first individual from a colonial background elected to the Japanese House of Representatives in 1932?

Park Chun-kum, a Korean politician.

Which incident on May 15, 1932, effectively ended party cabinet rule and Taishō democracy in Japan?

The assassination of Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi by militant naval officers during a failed coup d'état attempt.

What design characteristics defined Imperial Crown Style (teikan yōshiki) architecture?

Combining Japanese-style tiled roofs and elevated structures with Neoclassical buildings, originally conceived by architect Shimoda Kikutaro in 1920.

What railway incident on September 18, 1931, served as the pretext for the Kwantung Army's invasion of Manchuria?

The Mukden Incident.

Which naval engagement in June 1942 cost the Imperial Japanese Navy four fleet carriers and reversed its strategic offensive in the Pacific?

The Battle of Midway.

How many civilian casualties were caused by the Operation Meetinghouse incendiary raid on Tokyo on March 9–10, 1945?

Approximately $120{,}000$ civilians died.

Which article of the 1947 Japanese Constitution renounced war and formally established Japan as a pacifist nation?

Article 9.