The
Empire of Japan (
Kyujitai ?????;
Shinjitai ?????; pronounced
Dai Nippon Teikoku; literally
Great Imperial Japan or
Great Imperial Japanese Nation, officially
Great Japan,
Empire of Greater Japan or
Great Japanese Empire; more widely known as
Imperial Japan or the
Japanese Empire) was a Japanese political entity that existed during the period from the
Meiji Restoration in
1868 until its defeat in
World War II in
1945.
The country's rapid industrialization and militarization under the slogan Fukoku Kyohei (?????, "Enrich the Country, Strengthen the Army"), led to its emergence as a world power eventually culminating with its membership in the Axis alliance and the conquest of a large part of the Asia-Pacific region.
After several large scale military successes during the first half of the Pacific War, the Empire of Japan also gained enormous notoriety for its war crimes against the conquered inhabitants of people within their Empire. After suffering numerous defeats and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the Empire of Japan surrendered to the Allies on September 2, 1945. A period of occupation by the Allies followed the surrender and dissolution of the Empire, and a new constitution was created with American involvement. American occupation and reconstruction of the country continued well into the 1950s eventually forming the current modern Japan.
The Emperors during this time, which spanned the Meiji, Taisho and Showa eras, are now known in Japan by their posthumous names which coincide with those era names Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito), Emperor Taisho (Yoshihito), and Emperor Showa (Hirohito).
