Shōwa
The Shōwa period, in Japanese history, this period (1926–89) corresponds to the reign of the emperor Hirohito. The two kanji (Chinese characters) in the name (昭和 Shōwa) translate as “Bright Peace” in Japanese. However, a nuanced interpretation is “Enlightened Harmony,” with the added significance that the second character (和 wa) is commonly used in words that describe Japan or things Japanese.
The first part of the Shōwa, from Hirohito’s enthronement in 1926 to the end of World War II in 1945, is known as the early Shōwa period. It is noted principally for the rise of Statism in Japan (nationalism, fascism, militarism,) Japanese expansion in China and elsewhere in East and Southeast Asia, and the country’s wartime defeat. The postwar Shōwa decades were marked by Japan’s swift recovery and its rise as a global economic powerhouse second only to the United States, its former enemy and subsequent closest ally.
The Shōwa period was preceded by the Taishō period (1912–26) and was followed by the Heisei period (1989–).