Japan does better economically in the 1920's?

[Torten]

https://www.boj.or.jp/en/research/wps_rev/rev_2009/data/rev09e02.pdf

Reading this, Japan had a pretty torrid time economically in the 1920's, with the Great Kanto earthquake causing great financial instability, leading to a partial bailing out of the Japanese banking system in 1927, followed by a rather poor timed move onto the Gold Standard in 1930 for about two years.

What would it take to avoid or mitigate this? And what kind of impact would this on Japn in the lead up to the Pacific War

 

[Ricardolindo]

It could lead to a surviving Taisho democracy.

 

[Charles EP M.]

An economically stronger Japan is still going to get punched in the face by the Great Depression like everyone else and already has growing reactionary movements during the 1920s, but a few extra years of economic stability & good times might be enough to keep the worst from happening. A big question would be if this is enough to stop the invasion of Manchuria or if a different Japanese government also goes "what a good idea".

 

[Delta Force]

An economically stronger Japan is still going to get punched in the face by the Great Depression like everyone else and already has growing reactionary movements during the 1920s, but a few extra years of economic stability & good times might be enough to keep the worst from happening. A big question would be if this is enough to stop the invasion of Manchuria or if a different Japanese government also goes "what a good idea".

The initial invasion of Manchuria was done against the orders of both the civilian government and the military high command of Imperial Japan. It was only after multiple Chinese cities fell in a matter of days that the government decided to send reinforcements.

 

[Charles EP M.]

Is a stronger civilian government more likely to call it off before it reaches the point of looking like a big victory?

 

[Delta Force]

Is a stronger civilian government more likely to call it off before it reaches the point of looking like a big victory?

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident took place in 1937 under a stronger military government. If military officers aren't even accountable within their own hierarchy I don't think they are going to care too much for the opinions of the civilians.

 

[Charles EP M.]

So even with a stronger 1920s, Japan's still going to end up in Manchuria, out of the League of Nations, and at odds with the west but just in a slightly different way?

 

[Roger II]

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident took place in 1937 under a stronger military government. If military officers aren't even accountable within their own hierarchy I don't think they are going to care too much for the opinions of the civilians.

The flip side is that even if the military can't constrain junior officers by themselves, a stronger civilian government might be able to discipline/control the military more than it can control itself.

 

[Stikfigur]

I do think a lessened impact of the Great Depression, especially in rural areas, could do great to lessen support in those places towards the "good clean" Imperial Way types.