Indeed, the previous decade had seen the nation's masses call for a 'constitutional government' and, by the beginning of the 1920's, elected politicians had come in from the peripheries to wield considerable, actual power. ... Why then, by the end of the decade, had the tide of democratic process receded, and how had Japan's conservative and authoritarian elements reined back power from the hands of the people? ... The ambiguity surrounding the role of the emperor and the military in the structure of Japanese government is commented on by Kato Shuichi, saying that...

• Word Count: 2458
• Approx Pages: 10
• Grade Level: Graduate