Why is the period 1912-1945 sometimes referred to as the "taish democracy"?
Answers
The Taisho Period (1912-1926) is defined by the rule of Emperor Yoshihito (also known as Emperor Taisho), who ascended the throne in 1912 and died in 1926. The Taisho Emperor is remembered most for his grand German-style uniforms, his Kaiser Wilhelm-style mustache and madness. The son of the Meiji Emperor Mutsuhito, he tried to be come a truly popular leader. But in the end the ruling oligarches were threatened by his attempts to endear himself to the public and isolated the Imperial Family into "birds in a cage."
In his last years the Taisho Emperor suffered from a deteriorating intellect, a condition that may have been caused by meningitis. He was removed from public view after he rolled up a manuscript of speech during a formal session of the Diet and peered through it as if were a telescope. His son, the future Emperor Hirohito, became a regent for his father at age of 21.
The beginning of the Taisho era was marked by a political crisis that interrupted the earlier politics of compromise. When Saionji tried to cut the military budget, the army minister resigned, bringing down the Seiyokai cabinet. Both Yamagata and Saionji refused to resume office, and the genro were unable to find a solution. Public outrage over the military manipulation of the cabinet and the recall of Katsura for a third term led to still more demands for an end to genro politics. Despite old guard opposition, the conservative forces formed a party of their own in 1913, the Rikken Doshikai (Constitutional Association of Friends), a party that won a majority in the House over the Seiyokai in late 1914.
Taisho Democracy in Japan: 1912-1926.. Because of his sickness there was a shift in the structure of political power from the old oligarchic advisors under Meiji to the members of the Diet of Japan—the elected representative officials increasingly gaining influence and power.