The Tokugawa shogunate hands back power to the Emperor of Japan, starting the Meiji Restoration.

Tokugawa shogunate

1603–1868 Japanese military government

The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the Edo shogunate, was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868.

Emperor of Japan

The emperor of Japan is the hereditary monarch and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of the people with whom resides sovereign…

Meiji Restoration

1868 return to imperial rule in Japan

The Meiji Restoration , referred to at the time as the Honorable Restoration , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ruling…