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| 1912, Dec. 20 |
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| Prince Katsura became premier without a majority when Saionji resigned because of opposition to his retrenchment policy in Korea. | 1 |
The overwhelming impact of the West influenced Japanese culture in the Meiji period as well. Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847–1915) continued to work in the ukiyo-e woodblock medium, but he used Western painting themes in it. Okakura Tenshin (1862–1913) retained an abiding interest in traditional East Asian artistic forms. Others reacted to the predominance of the West in Japan with a return to or search for the Japanese cultural “essence.” In literature, two especially famous writers were Mori  gai (1862–1922) and Natsume S seki (1867–1916). gai studied medicine in Germany; Sseki studied literature in England. Both wrote powerful novels of life in the changing times of the Meiji era. | 2 |
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| 1912–26 |
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| THE TAISH PERIOD. The movements begun in the Meiji period continued. The personal weakness of the Taish emperor effectively eliminated the direct control of the imperial institution over practical politics. World War I and economic advance made Japan one of the world's great powers. | 3 |
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| 1913, Feb. 12 |
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| Adm. Yamamoto Gonbee (1852–1933) succeeded Katsura as premier. | 4 |
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| May 9 |
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| A formal protest was sent to the United States against proposed anti-alien land registration in California. The bill nevertheless was signed into law (May 19), and Japan was assured that treaty rights were not infringed upon. | 5 |
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