Taisho: Period of Great Righteousness
- Emperor Taisho's reign marked the beginning and ending of the Taisho Period (July 1912 to December 1926)
- The emperor was hardly ever seen in public
- WWI occured during his reign
- Japan helped form the League of Nations and was a leading power after the war
- Emperor Taisho had bad health (meningitis at an early age) and the power shifted from the old oligarchic group
- Power was shifted to the Diet and democratic parties (Taisho Democracy)
- The Diet consisted of 2 houses: House of Representatives and the House of Councillors
- Responsible for selecting the Prime Minister of Japan
- Formed by the Meiji Constitution in 1889
- In the 1920s, the government progressed toward democracy but could not stand through the pressures of the 1930s when military leaders became powerful (Showa Era)
Emperor Taisho
Modern day session of the Diet