IB HL History PP3 – Japan: The Taisho Democracy (1918-1931)
Past Year Questions on this bullet point:
- “The Taisho Democracy was fragile.” Discuss.
- To what extent did Japan have a successful democratic parliamentary system of government by 1929?
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Taisho Democracy.
- For what reasons, and with what consequences, did the Taisho democracy fail to solve the problems faced by Japan up to 1931?
- “The democratic two-party system of government attempted during the Taisho Democracy period did not last because internal and external
economic pressures were too great.” To what extent do you agree with this statement about the situation in Japan between 1918 and 1931?
Notes Guideline:
- Successes and failure of the Taisho Democracy in:
o Establishing a successful democratic parliamentary system of government (focus is on the SYSTEM)
o Successes/failures in practicing democracy
o Successes and failure in dealing with Japan’s problems
- Reasons for its demise/failure
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In establishing a successful democratic parliamentary system of government: (How successful was it in establishing a system)
Japan did have a democratic parliamentary system of government ever since the enactment of the Meiji Constitution in 1889.
The constitution stated that Japan’s government was to be bicameral, with the house of representatives being elected by the people and the
house of peers to be made up of those from the Imperial family.
The constitution also legalised the freedom of speech and thought amongst all Japanese.
However, in practice, Japan’s government was not democratic in nature. The government was heavily infuenced and controlled by the genrō – a
group of high-ranking military ofcials who were part of the Privy Council that advised the Emperor. Policy-making was all in the hands of these
men, who later became known as the Meiji oligarchs. There was little popular participation by the Japanese during this time.
This changed in the coming of 1905, following the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, which was disadvantageous towards the Japanese as
Russia was not required to pay Japan war reparations.
This created an economic downturn, which severely angered the Japanese. This was demonstrated in the Hibiya Riots of 1905 following the
signing of the treaty.
Their national rights and duties were awakened due to the whole nation’s involvement in the military and funding during the war. They wondered
why the government would allow the signage of a treaty that was disadvantageous
This led to a push for democracy and a rule by the Meiji constitution that had allowed for a fully functioning parliamentary democratic system of
government.
However, the success of Japan’s successful democratic parliamentary system of government from 1905 to 1929 was limited.
Although the system showed signs of success with the development of party politics in the 1920s, a numerous number of infuences in the
system did not allow it to work, and systemic faws in the parliamentary system had hindered the success of Japan’s democratic parliamentary
system.
Successes Failures
The system stimulated active popular participation that pushed for 1) Systematic Flaws prevent a parliamentary democracy from
democracy. This led to the development of party politics, where power functioning properly.
was in the hands of political parties rather than certain individuals.
Popular participation had a role in facilitating the formation of a system The system did not allow for universal sufrage. nder the Law of
, IB HL History PP3 – Japan: The Taisho Democracy (1918-1931)
of parliamentary democracy. Election in the Meiji Constitution, limited sufrage was extended to
male property holders, aged over 25 years, who paid more than 15
Political participation started in the 1870s – 1890s, with demonstrations yen in annual taxes for elections to the House of Representatives.
pushing for the creation of the Meiji Constitution. It reached its peak in This only amounted to 1% of the population.
1905 with the outbreak of the Hibiya Riots of 1905, starting the rise of The General Election Law of 1925 that sought to bring about
mass movements advocating for political change. Such popular universal sufrage was only extended sufrage to all males aged 25
participation educated the Japanese (particularly the peasants) on the and over, excluding women. This only included one fifth of the
world of politics and that they had the power to vote for whoever they population.
wished for. This culminated in the 1913 riot that ushered a “movement This systemic faw would restrain the parliamentary system of
for a constitutional government,” that followed a riot in 1905 opposing government from becoming fully democratic.
the disadvantageous terms concluded with Russia after the Russo-
Japanese War (1904-1905). Another systemic faw was the enactment of the Public Security
Preservation Law in 1925, which attacked socialists and
This resulted in the formation of 187 labour unions across the country, communists.
with a membership of approximately 100, 000 each. Labour unions It stated that anyone who has the aim of altering the kokutai will be
started large-scale strikes to protest against labour inequalities, political sentenced to penal servitude or imprisonment not exceeding ten
negotiations, unequal treaties and Japanese involvement in WW1. The years.
number of strikes rose from 108 in 1914 to 417 strikes in 1918. In the name of this Law, 1600 Communists and suspected
communists were arrested by the police, and the maximum penalty
Popular participation also came from women – this is important in a was raised from 10 years to death.
democracy, as democracy entails a plurality and acceptance of views A ‘thought police’, named the Tokko, was established by the
from men AND women. Minister of Education, with branches all over Japan to monitor
This can be seen from the establishment of new bodies that work to activity by socialists and Communists.
fight for women’s rights – the Women’s Sufrage League (1924) and the The suppression of freedom of speech and thought goes against the
New Women’s Association.
conventions of democracy.
Fusae Ichikawa – leader of the New Women's Association was the
Hence, the parliamentary democratic system of government was
first Japanese organiaation formed expressly for the
unsuccessful by default the systemic faws that it had did not
improvement of the status and welfare of women.
enable it to take upon a democratic approach to parliamentary
Shigeri Yamataka - co-founded the Women's Sufrage nion with
politics.
Ichikawa in Japan in 1924.
2) The number of infuences in government made it entrenched in its
Although popular participation decreased greatly during WW1 and old ways and could not embrace democracy fully.
following the enactment of the Peace Preservation Laws in 1925, it did
play an important role in allowing the government to operate within the Infuencers:
democratic system by facilitating the election process, where the 1) The Privy Council, who under Article 56 of the Meiji Consitution,
Japanese were to elect representatives of political parties into a cabinet. were to advise the Emperor. Many Councillors were also genrōs –
the old Meiji oligarchs, who clung onto the old Meiji authoritarianism
First Cabinet to be elected by the people was the Hara Cabinet type of rule in government.
(1918). Yamagata Aritomo, Ito Hirobumi, and Saionji Kinmochi (heavily
This ruled out the Meiji oligarchs, and subsequent Cabinets right-winged, played infuential roles in the formation of the
would be elected e.g. Takahashi Cabinet (1921-1922) Seiyukai party.
Showed that it was successful as popular participation by the 2) Advisory Council on Foreign Relations, created in 1917 during WW1,
Japanese facilitated the system of parliamentary democracy. who often pushed for Japanese expansionism into the rest of Asia.
Past Year Questions on this bullet point:
- “The Taisho Democracy was fragile.” Discuss.
- To what extent did Japan have a successful democratic parliamentary system of government by 1929?
- Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Taisho Democracy.
- For what reasons, and with what consequences, did the Taisho democracy fail to solve the problems faced by Japan up to 1931?
- “The democratic two-party system of government attempted during the Taisho Democracy period did not last because internal and external
economic pressures were too great.” To what extent do you agree with this statement about the situation in Japan between 1918 and 1931?
Notes Guideline:
- Successes and failure of the Taisho Democracy in:
o Establishing a successful democratic parliamentary system of government (focus is on the SYSTEM)
o Successes/failures in practicing democracy
o Successes and failure in dealing with Japan’s problems
- Reasons for its demise/failure
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
In establishing a successful democratic parliamentary system of government: (How successful was it in establishing a system)
Japan did have a democratic parliamentary system of government ever since the enactment of the Meiji Constitution in 1889.
The constitution stated that Japan’s government was to be bicameral, with the house of representatives being elected by the people and the
house of peers to be made up of those from the Imperial family.
The constitution also legalised the freedom of speech and thought amongst all Japanese.
However, in practice, Japan’s government was not democratic in nature. The government was heavily infuenced and controlled by the genrō – a
group of high-ranking military ofcials who were part of the Privy Council that advised the Emperor. Policy-making was all in the hands of these
men, who later became known as the Meiji oligarchs. There was little popular participation by the Japanese during this time.
This changed in the coming of 1905, following the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth, which was disadvantageous towards the Japanese as
Russia was not required to pay Japan war reparations.
This created an economic downturn, which severely angered the Japanese. This was demonstrated in the Hibiya Riots of 1905 following the
signing of the treaty.
Their national rights and duties were awakened due to the whole nation’s involvement in the military and funding during the war. They wondered
why the government would allow the signage of a treaty that was disadvantageous
This led to a push for democracy and a rule by the Meiji constitution that had allowed for a fully functioning parliamentary democratic system of
government.
However, the success of Japan’s successful democratic parliamentary system of government from 1905 to 1929 was limited.
Although the system showed signs of success with the development of party politics in the 1920s, a numerous number of infuences in the
system did not allow it to work, and systemic faws in the parliamentary system had hindered the success of Japan’s democratic parliamentary
system.
Successes Failures
The system stimulated active popular participation that pushed for 1) Systematic Flaws prevent a parliamentary democracy from
democracy. This led to the development of party politics, where power functioning properly.
was in the hands of political parties rather than certain individuals.
Popular participation had a role in facilitating the formation of a system The system did not allow for universal sufrage. nder the Law of
, IB HL History PP3 – Japan: The Taisho Democracy (1918-1931)
of parliamentary democracy. Election in the Meiji Constitution, limited sufrage was extended to
male property holders, aged over 25 years, who paid more than 15
Political participation started in the 1870s – 1890s, with demonstrations yen in annual taxes for elections to the House of Representatives.
pushing for the creation of the Meiji Constitution. It reached its peak in This only amounted to 1% of the population.
1905 with the outbreak of the Hibiya Riots of 1905, starting the rise of The General Election Law of 1925 that sought to bring about
mass movements advocating for political change. Such popular universal sufrage was only extended sufrage to all males aged 25
participation educated the Japanese (particularly the peasants) on the and over, excluding women. This only included one fifth of the
world of politics and that they had the power to vote for whoever they population.
wished for. This culminated in the 1913 riot that ushered a “movement This systemic faw would restrain the parliamentary system of
for a constitutional government,” that followed a riot in 1905 opposing government from becoming fully democratic.
the disadvantageous terms concluded with Russia after the Russo-
Japanese War (1904-1905). Another systemic faw was the enactment of the Public Security
Preservation Law in 1925, which attacked socialists and
This resulted in the formation of 187 labour unions across the country, communists.
with a membership of approximately 100, 000 each. Labour unions It stated that anyone who has the aim of altering the kokutai will be
started large-scale strikes to protest against labour inequalities, political sentenced to penal servitude or imprisonment not exceeding ten
negotiations, unequal treaties and Japanese involvement in WW1. The years.
number of strikes rose from 108 in 1914 to 417 strikes in 1918. In the name of this Law, 1600 Communists and suspected
communists were arrested by the police, and the maximum penalty
Popular participation also came from women – this is important in a was raised from 10 years to death.
democracy, as democracy entails a plurality and acceptance of views A ‘thought police’, named the Tokko, was established by the
from men AND women. Minister of Education, with branches all over Japan to monitor
This can be seen from the establishment of new bodies that work to activity by socialists and Communists.
fight for women’s rights – the Women’s Sufrage League (1924) and the The suppression of freedom of speech and thought goes against the
New Women’s Association.
conventions of democracy.
Fusae Ichikawa – leader of the New Women's Association was the
Hence, the parliamentary democratic system of government was
first Japanese organiaation formed expressly for the
unsuccessful by default the systemic faws that it had did not
improvement of the status and welfare of women.
enable it to take upon a democratic approach to parliamentary
Shigeri Yamataka - co-founded the Women's Sufrage nion with
politics.
Ichikawa in Japan in 1924.
2) The number of infuences in government made it entrenched in its
Although popular participation decreased greatly during WW1 and old ways and could not embrace democracy fully.
following the enactment of the Peace Preservation Laws in 1925, it did
play an important role in allowing the government to operate within the Infuencers:
democratic system by facilitating the election process, where the 1) The Privy Council, who under Article 56 of the Meiji Consitution,
Japanese were to elect representatives of political parties into a cabinet. were to advise the Emperor. Many Councillors were also genrōs –
the old Meiji oligarchs, who clung onto the old Meiji authoritarianism
First Cabinet to be elected by the people was the Hara Cabinet type of rule in government.
(1918). Yamagata Aritomo, Ito Hirobumi, and Saionji Kinmochi (heavily
This ruled out the Meiji oligarchs, and subsequent Cabinets right-winged, played infuential roles in the formation of the
would be elected e.g. Takahashi Cabinet (1921-1922) Seiyukai party.
Showed that it was successful as popular participation by the 2) Advisory Council on Foreign Relations, created in 1917 during WW1,
Japanese facilitated the system of parliamentary democracy. who often pushed for Japanese expansionism into the rest of Asia.
