Taishō Democracy (Japanese: 大正デモクラシー, Taishō demokurashī) was a period of political and social change in the Empire of Japan that began in the final years of the Meiji period and lasted through the Taishō period, typically referring to the years from roughly 1905 to 1932. The period was characterized by a broad movement for greater political participation, the rise of party politics, and the emergence of a vibrant civil society, including significant labor and social movements. This era of "imperial democracy" saw the power of the elected Diet expand and witnessed the establishment of party governments, a major shift from the earlier oligarchic rule of the genrō.
The movement's roots lay in the political framework of the Meiji Constitution, which created an elected lower house, and was fueled by the rise of a literate, urban populace and a growing working class. The era began with a wave of mass urban protests, most notably the 1905 Hibiya riots, which demonstrated a new popular desire to influence government policy. This "political crowd" expressed a nascent ideology that combined support for the emperor and empire with demands that the government respect the popular will. Concurrently, Japan's political parties, led by figures like Hara Takashi and Katō Takaaki, transitioned from protest movements to "established parties" competing for control of the government, culminating in the establishment of the first true party cabinet under Hara in 1918.
