21ST CENTURY JAPAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS and CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS
A Note on Citations and Previously Published Articles
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Chronology of Major Events in Japan Since 1867
Introduction
PhotographsPART ONE: A SOCIAL AND HISTORICAL ANALYSIS
CHAPTER ONE: BEGINNINGS
CHAPTER TWO: THE FIRST TRANSFORMATION
CHAPTER THREE: THE SECOND TRANSFORMATION
CHAPTER FOUR: JAPAN'S ORGANIC CRISIS
CHAPTER FIVE: A THIRD TRANSFORMATION?PART TWO: ARTICLES, ANECDOTES, and HAIKU
CHAPTER SIX: ARTICLES AND ANECDOTES
CHAPTER SEVEN: VENTURES IN HAIKU
Epilogue
Appendix A: Japanese Prime Ministers and Governing Party Since 1945
Appendix B: Standings of the House of Representatives and House of Councillors after the 2005 Japanese General Election and the 2007 Upper House Election
References
CHRONOLOGY OF MAJOR EVENTS IN JAPAN SINCE 1867
Meiji Era (1867-1912)
1867--Ascension of Meiji Emperor to the throne, initiating the Meiji Era.
1870--Formal colonization of Hokkaido begins.
1873--Military conscription started.
1877-78--Satsuma (Samurai) Rebellion.
1879--Annexation of Ryukyu Islands.
1885--First cabinet and first prime minister appointed.
1889--Meiji Constitution proclaimed.
1891--Imperial Diet (parliament) convenes; Imperial Rescript on Education issued.
1898--"Unequal Treaties" come to an end.
1894-95--Sino-Japanese War. Japan acquires Formosa (Taiwan).
1904-05--Russo-Japanese War.
1910--Korea annexed.
1912--Emperor Meiji dies; succeeded by Emperor Taisho.
Taisho Era (1912-1926)
1914--Japan enters First World War
1918--Rice riots.
1921--Assassination of Prime Minister Hara.
1923--Great Kanto earthquake devastates Tokyo and Yokohama.
1925--Universal Suffrage Act extends vote but not to women; Peace Preservation Law limits political activity.
1926--Emperor Taisho dies; succeeded by Emperor Showa (Hirohito).
Showa Era (1926-1989)
1928--First elections under Universal Suffrage Law.
1929--Start of the Great Depression.
1930--Prime Minister Hamaguchi attacked, later dies from his wounds.
1931--Manchuria Incident. Japanese Imperial Army invades and occupies northern China, setting up puppet government in Manchukuo.
1932--Prime Minister Inukai assassinated.
1933--Japan withdraws from the League of Nations.
1936--Army officers stage aborted coup.
1936-37--Japan signs anti-Communist treaties with Nazi Germany and Italy.
1937--War formally begins between Japan and China.
1938--Labour unions dissolved.
1939--War in Europe begins (September 1).
1940--Political parties dissolved; Japanese Imperial Army invades French Indochina.
1941--Japanese forces attack American base at Pearl Harbor (December 7).
1945--The war in Europe ends (May 8); atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9), resulting in Japan's surrender (August 15).
1945-52--Japan under American Occupation.
1946--Emperor Hirohito renounces divine status; elections held and women vote for the first time.
1947--New Japanese Constitution enacted.
1949--Chinese Revolution.
1950-53--Korean War.
1951--San Francisco Peace Treaty signed at San Francisco (September 8).
1955--Liberal Democratic Party formed, governs Japan for next 38 years.
1960--Japan-US Security Treaty renewed leading to widespread riots.
1964--Tokyo Summer Olympic games.
1972--Okinawa reverts to Japanese control.
1985--Prime Minister Nakasone visits Yasakuni Shrine in his formal role on the day commemorating the end of war.
1989--Emperor Hirohito dies; succeeded by Emperor Akihito.
Heisei Era (1989-Current)
1990--Start of decade-long recession; Iraq invades Kuwait.
1991--U.S.-led coalition forces attack Iraq, start of First Gulf War.
1993--LDP defeated; Morihiro Hosokawa becomes prime minister.
1995--Massive earthquake hits Kobe; fringe religious cult carries out poison gas attacks on transportation systems in Tokyo and Yokohama.
1996--Liberal Democratic Party returns to power.
1999--Nuclear accident at plant northeast of Tokyo.
2001--Election of Junichiro Koizumi as Japanese Prime Minister and George W. Bush as U.S. president; 9/11 terrorist attacks American cities of New York and Washington; beginning of U.S. "War on Terrorism."
2003--United States invades Iraq; Japanese forces provide support.
2006--Shinzo Abe becomes prime minister (September 26); revised Fundamental Law of Education passed (December 15); that same day, the Defense Agency becomes Defense Ministry.
2007--Referendum Bill passed (May 15), outlining procedures for amending Japan's Constitution. Upper House Elections (July 29) see governing Liberal Democratic Party suffer major defeat. Abe announces resignation as Prime Minister (September 12).