Japans Forgotten Samurai Republic

Before modern democracy took hold, a breakaway state called the Republic of Ezo formed in 1869. While it only lasted five months, it marked the very first attempt to hold democratic elections in Japanese history.

After the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate, loyalist samurai fled to the northern island of Hokkaido to create their own sovereign nation. They established a voting system to choose their leaders, a radical move for the time. However, this early democracy was exclusive, as only the samurai class was permitted to cast ballots. The experiment ended quickly when the Empire of Japan launched a naval invasion and annexed the territory.