Colonial Era
Empire of Japan (Meiji)
1868 AD – 1913 AD · peak 1910 AD
The Meiji Restoration of 1868 abolished the shogunate and centralized power under Emperor Meiji, initiating rapid Westernization and industrialization. Japan emerged as a global power after defeating the Qing Dynasty in 1895 and the Russian Empire in 1905. The period concluded with the 1910 annexation of Korea, solidifying Japanese hegemony in East Asia.
Capital: Tokyo
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Cape Route (1500 AD – 1869 AD)
- Tea Clipper Route (1720 AD – 1900 AD)
- Suez Route (1869 AD – 2026 AD)
- Trans-Siberian Railway (1904 AD – 2026 AD)