Series: Routledge Library of Modern Japan

The Showa Period covers the reign of Emperor Hirohito (1926-1989), encompassing war and destruction of the Japanese empire, the occupation, recovery from the ruins of war, and Japan's emergence as an economic superpower. But what defines Showa historically? What sets Showa apart from the history of Meiji and Taisho Japan? Whereas historians have traditionally approached this question by splitting "prewar"...