Ya, during the tiasho period, the emperor was slightly mentally uh... weak? So there was less repression and more grass roots movements. Before and after that there was more repression and a lot of leftists were put in jail, leading up to WW2.

During the occupation, the US let out the jailed thought criminals (aka socialists/communists) and jailed the war criminals. Suddenly, like china, japan was going communist, and America freaked out, so they rejailed the lefties and let out the war criminals (this is called "the reverse occupation") and pumped a ton of money into Japan - that's why the 1960s - 80s in Japan was good times; 90s was lost decade.

Anyway, I think it was the late 1800s to the 1930s had a LOT of assassinations. Like students (mostly nationalist) using swords to cut down politicians, quite literally.

1918 had a rice riots issue. They imported rice from the US and stuff, and it's really interesting how the locals would like mark the rice sellers who price gouged the locals, and who local rice sellers were. They then bussed in mobs from outside the area to destroy the price gouging sellers. For riots, they were extremely organized.

Anyway, the time during the rice riots had weak top-down rule and lots of grassroots movements growing.

Edit: forgot to add, Japan dug itself out of the 1850s unfair treaties act, a lot like cartage did with Rome. Japan basically informally created a system of indentured servitude in it's silk factories. So factory people would go into the mountains and wine and dine poor families and be like "we'll pay you cash money to let us take care of your daughter for a couple years" and have them sign a contract. They'd teach the daughter how to make silk. If she was slow or messed up production she could get fined. however, if she was amazing she could make bank. Oh! The Nomugi Pass; Original title: Ah! Nomugi toge 1979 2h 34m) outlines this really well. The story of the silk industry and the young girls who worked as silk spinners in the early 1900's in Japan)

Japan took this money and built up their military, bought a few ships from Britain, and that brought in the Meiji reformation as Japan became a super power after dealing with the Chinese navy in the 1890s and absolutely wrecking Russia's Navy around 1905.) Nice breakdown: video

That's the environment this movie takes place in.

Anyway, I think it was the late 1800s to the 1930s had a LOT of assassinations. Like students (mostly nationalist) using swords to cut down politicians, quite literally.

You flirt. You always know what to say. ;)

Interesting stuff, thanks! Any other movies you'd recommend along those lines? I've been trying to build up a collection of content that includes class struggle and revolution ever since I became aware of how overwhelmingly blatant it's been erased/downplayed from popular media.