An accessible, analytical survey of the rise and fall of Imperial Japan in the context of its grand strategy to transform itself into a great power.

This book looks at the history of the Japanese empire up through the late 19th century. From the preface:"In the following pages the administrative and political events from the founding of the empire will be divided into three great series, or periods.The First Period, commencing with the birth of imperialism, covers the ages during which the Sovereign and the Administration were one. Speaking accurately, however, this period includes not only eras when administrative orders actually emanated from the Emperor, but also eras during which powerful families, like those of Oomi and Omuraji, controlled administrative affairs ; eras when the reins of state were restored to the Sovereign, and eras when they passed into the hands of regents and prime ministers ; eras when the administrative authority was exercised by the Throne, and eras when it was exercised by military nobles. But these minor distinctions are merged in the fact that throughout the period the power of Imperialism was paramount and the mandates of the Sovereign were effective in all parts of the realm.The Second Period is that during which the administrative power was wielded by military nobles ; in other words, the period of military autocracy. This period commences with the time when the Minamoto chieftain, Yoritomo, established a Shogunate at Kamakura, and concludes with the time when, Tokugawa having restored the administration to the Sovereign, the Edo Shogunate came to an end. During this period, the families controlling administrative affairs underwent many vicissitudes and the possession of the Shogunate often changed, but the general character of the national polity was feudal, and the repositories of administrative power were all military nobles. Hence the whole series of events is here included in one period.The Third Period is the modern era of Meiji. It is the period when administrative power has reverted to the Emperor ; when the Constitution has been promulgated ; when the Diet has been opened ; when representative institutions have wholly replaced autocratic ; when the ancient aspect of all things has been metamorphosed. Therefore it is here regarded as the Third Period.In the Occident, it is customary to divide the period of a nation's history into ancient, mediaeval, and modern. This method has of late begun to come into vogue in Japan also. It is doubtless a suitable method in the case of other countries. But in Japan the salient incidents of history do not lend themselves to the adoption of such a system of division. Therefore it is not followed in the compilation of these annals."

These essays, by thirteen specialists from Japan and the United States, provide a comprehensive view of the Japanese empire from its establishment in 1895 to its liquidation in 1945. They offer a variety of perspectives on subjects previously neglected by historians: the origin and evolution of the formal empire (which comprised Taiwan, Korea, Karafuto. the Kwantung Leased Territory, and the South Seas Mandated Islands), the institutions and policies by which it was governed, and the economic dynamics that impelled it. Seeking neither to justify the empire nor to condemn it, the contributors place it in the framework of Japanese history and in the context of colonialism as a global phenomenon. Contributors are Ching-chih Chen. Edward I-te Chen, Bruce Cumings, Peter Duus, Lewis H. Gann, Samuel Pao-San Ho, Marius B. Jansen, Mizoguchi Toshiyuki, Ramon H. Myers, Mark R. Peattie, Michael E. Robinson, E. Patricia Tsurumi. Yamada Saburō, Yamamoto Yūzoō.

Excerpt from History of the Empire of Japan: Compiled and Translated for the Imperial Japanese Commission of the World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, U. S. A., 1893 The mountains of the main island are, for the most part, volcanic. Many Of them are still in an active condi tion. The active volcanoes number 170, and the ranges comprising them stretch across the extent of the country. Mines and mineral springs consequently abound. They are to be found in about 388 places, independently Of Hokkaido. The most celebrated thermal springs are at Kusatsu and Ikaho in Kozuke; at Hakone in Sagami; at Atami in Izu; at Arima in Settsu; at Shirosaki in Tajima, and at Dogo in Iyo. Frequency of earthquakes results from this abundance of volcanoes. Minor shocks average from thirty or forty to several hundreds annually, and of severe shocks history shows that there have been some two or three in each century, entailing overthrow of dwellings, destruction of human and animal life, crumbling away of mountains and interchanges Of seas and lands. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.