Key Concepts in Japanese History

Flashcards covering essential terms and concepts in Japanese history, focusing on legal, political, social, and cultural developments.

Civil Code

The Japanese Civil Code (1896) standardized legal systems in Japan, particularly focusing on family law, property law, and obligations, influenced by Western legal systems.

Unequal Treaties

Treaties signed between Japan and Western powers in the 19th century that forced Japan to open ports, grant extraterritorial rights to foreigners, and allow foreign trade.

Hair-Cutting Edict

Issued in 1871 during the Meiji Restoration, this edict mandated that the samurai and commoners cut their topknots as part of modernization efforts, signaling the end of feudalism.

Constitution of the Empire of Japan (1889)

Established a constitutional monarchy with an emperor and a bicameral legislature, serving as the foundation of Japanese governance until 1947.

Treaty of Shimonoseki

Signed in 1895 after Japan's victory in the First Sino-Japanese War, this treaty ceded Taiwan and the Pescadores Islands to Japan, marking the beginning of Japan's imperial expansion.

Treaty of Portsmouth

The 1905 treaty that ended the Russo-Japanese War, confirming Japan's dominance in Korea and Manchuria and elevating its status as a global power.

Arms Limitation Treaties

Agreements like the Washington Naval Treaty (1922) aimed at limiting naval arms races between major powers, including Japan, following World War I.

Seitō / Bluestocking (1910s)

A feminist literary society that advocated for women's rights and gender equality, pushing for women's suffrage and greater representation in Japanese society.

Discourse by Three Drunkards on Government (1887)

A political pamphlet that criticized the Meiji government's policies and called for a more democratic system, symbolizing the intellectual debates of the period.

Kokutai no Hongi / Fundamentals of our National Polity (1937)

A state document emphasizing the divine origin of Japan's emperor system and the importance of national unity and loyalty, serving as ideological support for Japanese militarism.

Emperor System

The central role of the Emperor in Japan, considered both a political leader and a divine symbol of unity, crucial to Japan’s national identity.

Comfort Woman

Women forced into sexual slavery by the Japanese military during World War II, primarily from Korea, China, and other occupied territories.

Kami

The spirits or gods in Shintoism, worshipped in various forms, including natural elements and deified historical figures.

Naisen Ittai

A slogan meaning 'Japan and Korea as one body' used to justify the annexation of Korea by Japan in 1910.

Kokutai

The concept of Japan’s unique national essence, centered on the Emperor, divine ancestry, and the unity of the people.

Daughters in Boxes

A term describing restrictive social norms imposed on women in Meiji and Taisho Japan, confining them to traditional roles.

Yonaoshi

A term meaning 'a world-turning,' representing societal revolutions, particularly the Meiji Restoration.

State Shintō

The use of Shinto practices by the state to promote loyalty and nationalism, especially in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Party Cabinets

Government cabinets formed by political parties rather than by bureaucrats, symbolizing the move toward parliamentary democracy during the Taisho era.

Taishō Democracy

A period marked by political reforms and increasing political participation in Japan (1912-1926).

Emperor-Organ Theory

A political doctrine viewing the emperor as the divine leader, justifying military actions through central governance.

Rice Stipend

A system where samurai and government officials were paid in rice, linking it to political power.

Zainichi Koreans

Ethnic Koreans living in Japan, many of whom faced discrimination and legal struggles after World War II.

Shōwa Restoration

Efforts in the 1930s and 1940s to restore the imperial system under Emperor Hirohito, associated with militaristic policies.

Shogunate

Military governments led by shoguns that ruled Japan from the 12th to the 19th centuries.

Cultural Rule

Japanese imperialist policy of controlling colonies like Korea through cultural assimilation while maintaining political subjugation.

Doctrine of Supreme Command

Justification used during World War II that the Emperor's divine authority placed him above military and civilian leaders.

Seikanron (Debate on Subjugating Korea)

A political debate in the late 19th century about whether Japan should invade and annex Korea.

Tenkō

The ideological shift in the 1930s where individuals renounced previous beliefs to support the imperial government.

Rice Riots

Protests in 1918 caused by food shortages and rising rice prices, leading to increased social unrest.

Hibiya Riots

A 1905 protest in Tokyo against the Treaty of Portsmouth, resulting in a perceived loss of prestige for Japan.

Namamugi Incident

A 1862 event where a British merchant was killed in Japan, leading to the Harris Treaty.

Russo-Japanese War

A conflict (1904-1905) where Japan defeated Russia, establishing Japan as a military power.

Manchurian Incident

A staged attack in 1931 by the Japanese military used as a pretext to invade Manchuria.

First Sino-Japanese War

A conflict (1894-1895) between Japan and China over Korea, ending with Japan's victory.

Meiji Restoration

The 1868 restoration of imperial rule in Japan, marking significant political, social, and economic reforms.

Colonization of Korea

Japan's annexation of Korea in 1910, leading to oppressive rule and cultural assimilation.

Freedom and People’s Rights Movement

A late 19th-century movement advocating for constitutionalism and democratic rights.

March First Movement

A 1919 Korean independence movement calling for the end of Japanese colonial rule.

Southwest War

A 1877 rebellion opposing the Meiji government's consolidation of power.

Great Kantō Earthquake

A devastating 1923 earthquake that struck Tokyo, leading to massive destruction and loss of life.

February 26 Incident

A failed coup attempt in 1936 by young army officers to restore the Emperor's power.

Kantō Massacres

Anti-Korean riots in 1923, resulting in hundreds of Koreans killed.

Exodus to North Korea

The migration of ethnic Koreans from Japan to North Korea, beginning in the 1950s.

Manchukuo

A puppet state established by Japan in 1932 during its imperial expansion.

Edo / Tokyo

Japan’s capital from the early 17th century (as Edo) until 1868, renamed Tokyo.

Ise Shrine

A sacred Shinto shrine in Japan dedicated to the sun goddess Amaterasu.

Satsuma

A southern region in Japan influential in the Meiji Restoration.

Yasukuni Shrine

A controversial shrine in Tokyo honoring Japan’s war dead.

Ezo / Hokkaido

The northernmost island originally called Ezo, later developed as Hokkaido.

Nagasaki

A key port city known for international trade and the site of Japan’s atomic bomb attack.

Ryūkyū Kingdom / Okinawa

An independent kingdom until annexation by Japan in 1879, now part of Okinawa.

Yokohama

A major port city that became a center for foreign trade following Japan's opening to the West.

Chōshū

A domain in western Japan crucial in the Meiji Restoration.

Port Arthur

A strategically important port in Manchuria, which was a key issue in the Russo-Japanese War.

Mito

A domain famous for its contribution to the Meiji Restoration and the development of Japan’s national consciousness, particularly through the Mito school of thought.

Treaty Ports

Ports in Japan opened to foreign trade after Japan’s forced entry into the international system in the 1850s, leading to economic and social transformation.

Fukuzawa Yukichi

A leading intellectual and reformer of the Meiji era, advocating for Westernization and modernization to strengthen Japan.

Hiratsuka Raicho

A pioneering feminist and writer, central to the Bluestocking movement advocating for women’s rights in early 20th-century Japan.

Ito Hirobumi

A key figure in Japan’s modernization, the first prime minister, and a central architect of Japan’s 1889 constitution.

Itagaki Taisuke

A leader in the early Meiji period who fought for constitutional government and the establishment of political parties.

Saigo Takamori

A military leader in the late Edo period who played a key role in the Meiji Restoration, later leading a rebellion against the government in the Southwest War.

Nakae Chomin

A political theorist and advocate for democracy and the rights of the common people during the late 19th century.

Inukai Tsuyoshi

Prime Minister of Japan in the 1930s, known for advocating democracy, later assassinated in the May 15th Incident.

Yosano Akiko

A prominent poet, feminist, and advocate for women’s rights during the Taishō period.

Matthew Perry

A U.S. naval officer whose expeditions in 1853-1854 forced Japan to open its doors to the West, ending centuries of isolation.

Deguchi Nao

A key figure in the Ōmoto movement, a religious movement advocating for peace and cooperation among East Asian countries.

Kanno Sugako

A prominent feminist and writer involved in the anarchist movement in early 20th-century Japan, executed for her involvement in an assassination plot.

Hara Kei

Prime Minister during the Taishō era, notable for promoting democratic reforms and labor rights.

Ii Naosuke

A statesman during the late Tokugawa Shogunate, known for signing the Harris Treaty and contributing to Japan’s opening to the West.

Yoshida Shoin

A key intellectual and leader in the late Edo period who played a central role in promoting the idea of national sovereignty and resistance to foreign powers.

Kaneko Fumiko

A Japanese anarchist and feminist, executed for her involvement in a failed assassination attempt on the emperor’s regent.

“Blood Oath Gang”

A group of nationalists involved in assassination attempts in the early 20th century, symbolizing the rise of radical movements during the era.

Amaterasu

The sun goddess in Shinto, central to Japan’s mythology and the divine ancestry of the imperial family.

Jingu

A legendary empress in Japanese history, considered to be the mythical ancestor of the Japanese imperial family.

Jinmu

The mythical first emperor of Japan, considered to be the ancestor of all Japanese emperors.

Daimyo

Feudal lords in pre-modern Japan who controlled large domains and military power, playing a crucial role in the feudal system until the Meiji Restoration.

Ito Noe

A feminist and anarchist, involved in the early 20th-century women's liberation movement in Japan, executed for her activism.

Minobe Tatsukichi

A legal theorist during the Taishō era who developed the emperor-organ theory, contributing to the ideological foundation of Japan’s imperial government.

Pak Chungum

A Korean intellectual who lived in Japan and advocated for Korean independence.

Kotoku Shusui

A prominent anarchist and intellectual, executed for his involvement in a failed assassination plot against the imperial government.