Japanese Term 2 Final Notes

Japan's Imperial Expansion

Wednesday, January 6, 2016
11:29 AM

Western system of international relations insists on clear borders

When you cross into Michigan you are subject to American law
Traditional form of East Asian international relations were a little more
flux about borders and sovereignty
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When the West imposed their system on East Asian countries
they wanted to know who has sovereignty over what
Led Japan to clearly express its areas of where it had sovereignty over
Consequences for rest of East Asia
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Hokkaido, Ryukyu Islands
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They were not directly in control of Japan
Hokkaido was not part of Tokugawa Japan, there was a

Daimyo that they traded with

Westerners didnt like this kind of uncertainty
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Ryukyu islands as well
When Westerners arrived to Okinawa, they ask of the Ryukyu islands
who rules you?
Japan expanded in order to express itself as an international power
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By 1910 Japan not only consolidates control over what we know
as Japan today
They expand control to Taiwan, Korea, lease holding in

Manchuria
Japan expands its possessions in China after World War 1

Japan entered the 20th century as a modern industrial power, and a

great imperial power
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Recognized as a great power in the peace settlements after the
great war
Japan's Challenges
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The new international order imposed on Japan demanded clear
borders and areas of sovereignty
Westerners have expanded influence in China

Russia is consolidating its pacific holdings in Siberia

Japan is under treaties that limit its sovereignty in trade

with others
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Japan also looking for relationships of respect and equality from
other great powers
One of the features of the 19th century international

system, empire and military strength was a great strength

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This put you at the table even if you weren't a large

country

The Netherlands
Small with small population

Own large parts of Africa and Southeast Asia

Two kind of hazy areas of control in Japan

Hokkaido and Ryukyu Islands
Russia is north of Hokkaido

Russia is the obsession over Japanese security

Russians were sending trading missions, had landed on

Hokkaido before
Hokkaido
Japanese frontier land since early Tokugawa times
Similar to Canadian West during times of HBC

HBC would go and trade, wasn't an arm of the

government didnt govern, but did trade

Native people's were still sovereign

Did have a Daimyo in the southern part of the island

Didnt have much control outside of his castle

Trading hub between Ainu

Ainu native people

Native Japanese

Lived in Northern Honshu during Heian times

Driven to Hokkaido during Kamakura times

Clannish, tribal, hunting/fishing

Did have their own quite elaborate system of

relationships between clans

Ethnically distinct from Japanese

Japanese Trading posts

Fear of Russian expansions

Russian ships sailing in those shipping routes

Consolidation of Control
Russians recognise Japanese control of Hokkaido and southern
Kuriles Islands in 1855
Kuriles 4 islands north of Hokkaido

In order to consolidate control over Hokkaido

Meiji government establishes Hokkaido Colonisation Office

Look around the world and try to figure out which country

to help them colonize

Choose American advisors

Americans colonizing western frontier at same time

Attempt to exploit Hokkaido's commercial potential

Attempt to introduce Western style farming
Establish new crops

Hokkaido has a different climate

Capital has climate similar to Montreal


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Colonization
Land in Hokkaido given to ex-samurai for farming and
settlement
Establishment of new towns and cities
Ainu driven from their lands
Unlike America and Canada, no treaties signed

No land for reservation of Ainu

Lands given to Ainu

Soon lost

Unlike what happens in North America, the lands that the

Ainu got were Alienable

Made them very vulnerable

Didnt know about property ownership, got

swindled from their land in most cases
Ainu marginalised, ended up worse off

Hokkaido had a population of 1.25 million by the end of the Meiji

Era
Impressive growth and colonization

Kurile Islands
North of Hokkaido
Mixed population
Ainu, native people, Japanese whalers and pirates

Russian whalers and pirates

Lawless, very uncertain area

Vacuum of sovereignty that the Western system hated

Treaty with Russia in 1875

Japan gets entire Kurile island chain
Russia gets Sakhalin island, north of Hokkaido
For a while

The Ryukyu Islands

Semi-autonomous kingdom south of Kyushu (southernmost
island of Japan)
Tributary relationship with both China and the domain of
Satsuma
Standard way, with some modifications that China

conducted its relationships with other nations

China would expect its neighbours to send embassies

Would come to China and say Almighty Chinese Emperor,

greatest thing in the region etc. etc.

Here are some presents

Want to trade
Japanese government attempted to incorporate Ryukyus into
Japan after abolition of domains
Aroused Chinese objections
Treaty of Kanghwa 1876
Saigo Takamori's proposal in 1873 to punished Koreans rejected
Reversal in 1876

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New Japanese fleet threatens Kanghwa Island West of Seoul

Japanese impose unequal treaty on Koreans
They were going to attack Kanghwa

Koreans submit
Japan gets extraterritoriality in Korea

Two ports

Korea loses a lot of its autonomy with Japan

Leads Korea to sign unequal treaties with other powers as well

Imperialism in the 19th Century
Latter half of 19th century saw Europeans establish imperial
control throughout Asia, Africa and the Pacific
Islands of the pacific Hawaii, Samoa, Tongo, New Zealand,

all taken by imperial powers

Empire symbol of being a great power
Japan's security goals
Yamagata Aritomo became Prime Minister in 1890
Goal to preserve Japan's independence
Need to defend "line of sovereignty" (Japan's borders)
Also need to establish "line of advantage"
Neutral buffer zone around Japan to protect from external
threats
Jakuniku kyoshoku
"Weak are meat for the strong"
Fukuzawa Yukichi had originally advocated Western
Enlightenment thought
Growing popularity of Social Darwinism in Europe
Fukuzawa became convinced that Japan had to survive in an
increasingly violent world
Datsu-A ron
Discourse of leaving Asia
Use western structures in order to survive

Bring new Knowledge and spread it throughout Asia

Expand Japanese influence

If they wont reform, Japan will act as a Western country

Japan should try to help its neighbours reform

Should not be tied down to them
Japan should not act as an Asian country, but rather as Western
countries do in Asia
Other advocated Japan's role in bringing civilization to other
Asian countries
You will be forced to expose yourself to the West

"A dagger to the heart of Japan" - speaking of Korea

So close and it is aimed right at the Japanese home island
If any non friendly power takes over Korea, exact land to invade
Japan
First coined by German military advisers

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Japanese priority to make sure Korea did not fall in the hands of
a third power
Make sure the Russians dont come

Korea had tributary relation to China

Korean strategy was to play powers off against each other
Move to 'guarantee Korea's independence"
Korean Politics
Tensions between conservatives and reformers
Conservatives led by Min Family, king Kojong's in-laws
Allied to China
Reformers open to Japanese aid
Looked to Meiji Japan

Constitutional monarchy

The Tianjin Convention 1885

Korean reformers stage palace coup 1884
Take King Kojong prisoner

Wanted to reform along Japanese societal lines

Fails when conservatives obtain Chinese intervention

First time when China actively intervenes in Korean

politics
China and Japan agree not to post troops in Korea
Also known as Li-Ito pact
China has preponderant political influence
Increasing Japanese economic interest
Convention keeps the peace for about 10 years
The Tonghak Rebellion 1894
An illegal Korean religious sect called Tonghak led a rebellion
against the korean monarchy in 1894
Peasants subjected to more tax, leaves them with less

and less
The Tonghak want corrupt officials to leave

Replaced with good people

Wasnt an anti-monarchical revolution, wanted

reform in tax
They start marching on Seoul

China agrees to send troops, China broke the agreement,

Japan sent troops in to Korea as well

The Sino-Japanese War 1894-1895
Japan quickly takes over Korea
Moves into Manchuria
Chinese fleet destroyed
Yamagata Aritomo wants to push further into China
Opposed by Ito Hirobumi, who was prime minister
Shows to western countries that Japan is militarily

powerful, industrially developed and a power to be reckoned with

Everyone is surprised

The Treaty of Shimonoseki 1895

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China sues for peace

China forced to grant commercial privileges and large war
indemnity
Tributary relationship with Korea ended
Japan now had the rights like other Western powers to

have extraterritoriality, preferential status

Taiwan becomes Japan's first colony
Liaodong peninsula also ceded to Japan
Consequences for Japan
Japanese victory surprised the Great Powers
Asian country which acts very Western

Japan becomes first non-European imperial power

Between 1894-1897, Euro powers signed new treaties with Japan
Abolish extraterritoriality and re-establish Japan's tariff
autonomy by 1911
The Triple Intervention
Europeans surprised by Japan's victory
Russia, France and Germany warn Japan to give back Liaodong
peninsula
Ito reluctantly agrees
Causes huge indignation in Japan
Search for revenge against Russia
Withdraw your railroad and land rights

If you don't, there will be war

Problems in Korea
Korean king uses Triple Intervention to increase independence
from Japan
Shows the Korean king that Japan is not invincible

Japanese policies were very unpopular

They forced all men to get a hair cut

Koreans wore their hair long and had them tied up in

manbuns
Reformers and Japanese saw this hairdo as outdated and

not modern
Forced all Korean men to have a haircut or lose their

heads
Japanese participated in assassination of Queen Min
She was under palace arrest

Raided the palace and stabbed her forty five times, cut

her into little pieces and burned her to ashes

Korean king appeals Russia for aid

Immense indignation against Japan

Very negative attitudes Japan further increases

Decline in Japanese influence

He takes refuge in the Russian embassy

Russia on the Move

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Kojong runs Korean government from the Russian embassy for

about a year
Increasing influence in Korea
Special privileges in the Liaodong peninsula
Railroad concession in Manchuria
Working on Siberian Railway

Russians sidelined in Korea after 1898

Manchurian troop presence after Boxer Rebellion in 1901
Boxers began as a Tai Chi club and launched a huge

rebellion against the Chinese

Russian troops stayed in Manchuria after the Boxer

rebellion

Society of righteous and harmonious fists

Japan's Response
Increased military spending
Provides support to coalition forces against the Boxer Rebellion
in 1900-1901
Japan also posts troops in northeastern China
With Russia keeping its troops in Manchuria, looking back

on Triple Intervention, Japan kind of says we need European

powers to support us
Anglo-Japanese alliance in 1902
Ongoing negotiations with Russia
British and Japanese have suspicions of Russian presence

in Manchuria
And Eastern expansion

If Russia fights Japan alone, Britain will remain neutral, if Russia

calls on another power to fight either Britain or Japan, then the other
ally will come together to even it out
Want to make sure that France does not intervene with Russia
Man-Kan kokan
"Exchange Manchuria for Korea"
The Russo-Japanese War 1904
Increasing frustration with Russian negotiations
Beat up Russia, destroyed their fleet at the Straits of Tsushima
Treaty of Portsmouth 1905
Japan gets Russian territorial and railroad rights in Liaodong
peninsula and southern Manchuria
Russia cedes southern Sakhalin Island to Japan
Richest part of Sakhalin Island

Oil Rich

Russia recognises Japan's 'preponderant interest' in Korea

Side deal between Japan and US

Japan recognized US interests in the Philippines

US does same with Korea

Japanese people expected more

Japanese saw themselves now citizens of a country that

was ascending
Assuming proper leadership role in Asia
Successful imperial wars have people buying into the
system

Led to Riots in Japan

o Twenty one demands lecture

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Wednesday, January 20, 2016

11:35 AM

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Twenty One Demands

Kato Komei wanted to use the war to expand Japanese influence
in china
Take advantage of weak Chinese

Acted against genro's advice

Imposed twenty one demands on Chinese government
Last cluster of articles wanted China to hire Japanese advisers
Great Chinese opposition
Allied criticism leads to dropping of last demands
21 demands summed up

Since Japan had only recently gotten rights in China

in 1890's the Japanese wanted the same rights as Britain
and France
4 last articles

Asked China to hire Japanese advisors to advise

China of its modernization

Very clear that these advisors would be telling the

Chinese what to do

Create policies in Japanese favour

Japan was forced to back down on these demands

Britain and France were very unhappy, taking

advantage of Britain and France fighting in Europe
In the end the Chinese government accepts the first 3 groups
but successful in rejecting the last demands which would have given
Japan very strong influence on Chinese government
After General
Impact of War
Japan emerges as a victorious power
Kato was forced out of power, succeeded in showing

politicians could defy the Genro and set foreign policy without
consulting them
War in Europe ends in 1918

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Japan didnt send soldiers to Europe

As an allied power got preferential access to colonial
possessions in Asia and Indo-China
War was a time of real prosperity

Japan was acknowledged as one of the victorious great powers

and had a seat in the Paris Peace Conference
Japan was awarded the conquered territories they took from
Germany
League of Nations mandated Japan to take over

Micronesia
Racial equality clause in new League of nations charter rejected
Clause that stated all human beings are equal regardless

of race was defeated

Japan got to keep the Shandong peninsula provokes opposition
of Western allies
China was falling to pieces

Japan would have troops in a central economic base

Japan was not able to take complete control of Micronesia

Severe inflation and economic problems
Motivations of the opposition to the Racial Equality clause was
domestic problems of discriminatory immigration policy in Canada, US,
New Zealand and Australia
Beginnings of Taisho Democracy
Riots calling for overthrow of Terauchi cabinet over high price of
rice
Severe inflation

Led to riots

Kara Kei, leader of Seiyukai (more moderate) appointed as new

Prime Minister
Except for a short period 1921-23, Japan's prime ministers were
members of political parties and sitting members of the Diet
Elected politicians major element in Japanese balance of

power
Diet gets more practical power

Strong stream in Japan that favoured Liberal democracy,

favoured international institutions, emphasized the power of elected
representatives
Stream will weaken, but not completely disappear

The other stream, authoritarian, militaristic, imperial expansion

During the period of Taisho democracy this trend lost a bit

of power
Competition between two streams in Japanese politics
For the moment democracy gains the upper hand as a

result of instability after WW1

Model international power
Political party Differences

Seiyukai more conservative, authoritarian, and favoured more

military spending
One of the reasons for this was because of its origins

Formed as a political party to support the Genro

Maintained much more conservative authoritarian and

increased military spending

Kenseikai (later Minseito) more socially liberal, interventionist
and open to international agreements
Use government funds to supplement economy I nhard

times \
Keynesian economics

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1925 - Universal Male Suffrage

o Up to this time, voting was based on tax brackets and only
for men
o Clear why democracy didnt work that well
1925 Peace preservation law
o Allowed the government to give special police powers to the
police to suppress any organization that could be a threat to
the kokutai or to the country
o National threats
o Seeds to end democracy, gave power to those who hold
government
Shidehara Diplomacy
Named after Japanese foreign minister Shidehara Kijuro
In power in the 1920's

Socially liberal international party in power in Japan

Shidehara philosophy - In order to preserve imperial security,

Japan should participate in international organisations and institutions
In general most of the great powers did not see a problem

with liberal democracy and having an empire

International institutions to prevent war, increase international
cooperation
Best way to keep Japan's empire

Japan active in League of nations

Nitobe Inazo became undersecretary general of the League of
nations
Vice President of the League

Japanese had a very strong role in the League

Nitobe Inazo (1862-1933)
Educated in US
Converted to Quakerism
Married an American woman
The washington conference, 1921
Major powers meet in Washington
Agreement to respect territorial possessions of Great Powers in
East Asia

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Spheres of influence confirmed

Collective security
Maintaining status quo

Naval treaty set naval size limitations advantageous to Japan in

the pacific
Establishes ratios compared to US and Britain

Naval superiority in the Pacific

Permission to have a larger Navy in the pacific

Independence of China guaranteed

As part of this agreement Japan to withdraw from the

Shandong peninsula, willing to do this because of size of naval

fleet
Japan's imperial goals
Security
Less room for farming

Natural resources
Manchuria and other parts of East asia

Food
Infrastructure
Civilisation and development
Taiwan
Japan's first colony
Pacification campaign against Taiwanese aboriginals in the
mountains
First governor was Goto Shinpei
Chinese had ruled Taiwan in a bad way
Influenced by theory of enlightened colonialism
Emphasized agriculture and industrial development
Provide more services to Taiwanese

Launched a new land registry

Also provide services to native taiwanese

Impact on Taiwan
Japanese administration generally benevolent after pacification
Doesnt have to repress Taiwanese

Japanese business enticed to invest

Increase in rice and sugar production
Colony becomes self sustaining
Education, health an infrastructure programs
Little resistance from the Taiwanese
The Nan'yo Territories
Japan's newest territories
Chain of islands and atolls in Micronesia in the North Pacific
Ex-german colonies given as League of Nations mandate
Administered from New Guinea

South Seas Development Company

Didnt do a good job of supervising the Japanese in these
colonies

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Considerable colonisation (77,000 Japanese by 1939)

Focus on commercial agriculture (sugar, fruit, coffee)
Karafuto
Located in southern Sakhalin Island
Obtained from Russia in 1905
Large scale colonisation
About 100,000 Japanese that lived in this area

Civilian administration
Large zaibatsu investment
Major Japanese conglomerates invest in Karafuto in

lumber, oil and mining

Korea
Largest colony
Most troublesome colony
Place which most resisted colonial rule
Firmer national identity
More violent resistance
Harsh military rule
Guerilla movements put down with great brutality
The dark Ages 1910-1919
Korea ruled by military governors
All independent Korean organizations and publications repressed
Religious organizations only institutions led by Koreans
Strong Japanese hold on industry and commercial agriculture
Many Koreans deprived of their land through rigged land surveys
Wealthy Japanese commercial agriculture investors flood

in
March 1st Movement
Coalition of religious leaders led demonstrations in favour of
Korean independence on March 1 1919
Suppressed with great brutality
Nearly a million demonstrators in total
Size of the demonstrations alarmed Japanese
Japanese Reaction
Size of demonstrations shocked Japanese
Led to debate as to whether they are being too harsh in Korea
New party politicians advocated changes
Switch to civilian administration under former admiral Saito
Makoto
The Cultural Policy
Aim to open up Korean society and politics to make Japanese
rule more acceptable
Some rectification in pay scales for Koreans
Two Korean languages newspapers founded in 1920
Led to an avalanche of new magazines and publications in
Korean
The Korean Economy

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Korea becomes Japan's main source of rice

Closeness to Japan led to new factories and industrialization
Some Koreans also founded factories
Economy mainly under Japanese control
Tendency to give loans and special rights to Japanese

companies
Because Japan's colonies are so close they are able to develop
and industrialize their economies to manufacture cheap goods
Impact on Korea
Industrialization led to expansion in industrial work force and
exploitation
Problems of low wages and exploitation
Korean-owned companies often had most problems
Worst labour conditions

Led to growing popularity of Marxism in the 1920's

Early shoots of communism/marxism in Korea and Japan

arise in the 1920's

Economic development done with Japan's priorities in mind
Manchuria
Still part of China
Liaodong Peninsula directly administered by Japan
Known as "Kwantung Leased Territory"
Railroad from Liaodong to Changchun controlled by Japan
Administered by South Manchuria Railway Company
Also administered land around the railroad
Unique that we see Japan controlling area 3 km. around

the railroad as well

Install police and soldiers along this railroads

Post military units in southern Manchuria as well

Japanese Presence in Manchuria

Kwantung Army based in Liaodong peninsula and guarded the
railroad
South Manchuria Railway Company runs municipal services and
public works
Expansion in commercial agriculture of soybeans
Industrialization in Liaodong peninsula
Considerable colonisation
Huge influence in China
Chaos is going on in China during the 1920's

Japan's possessions are places of peace, Chinese people

immigrate to these areas to find peace

Urban and Rural Life in Japan
Contrast between life in Westernised, industrial and commercial
cities and more traditional agricultural countryside
Debate about tradition and Japanese modernity

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Radio, film, magazines and newspapers increasingly important

in cultural field
Mobo and Moga
1920's worldwide of great economic prosperity, very quick
money being made
Modern boy, modern girl

Takarzuka players
Female acting troop
Females only
The Tumultuous Twenties
Economic impact of World War 1
Japan increasingly becoming an industrial economy

Expanded economically by taking place of European

businesses in Asia
Manufacturing became more important than agriculture in GDP
Japan increasingly integrated into world economy
Japanese very good in manufacturing

A Dual structure
Heavy industrialization under the zaibatsu
In control are the big four

Yasuda, Sumitomo, Mitsubishi and Mitsui

Traditional industries still important under small enterprises

Small enterprises often worked on contract for the zaibatsu
High growth in consumption, foreign trade and imperial trade
Wide economic disparities
Foreign trade
Important but not of primary importance
Japan benefits from greater wealth coming into Japan, but

exposes japan to international market volatility

Dependence on foreign countries for natural resources
accentuated Japan's drive for empire
The Great Kanto Earthquake
Huge earthquake in Tokyo area on Sept 1 1923
Quake and firestorms left 100,000 dead
60% of homes destroyed
Nearly every factory in the area destroyed
Government establishes easier credit program for reconstruction
Devaluation of the yen
Renewed economic growth and foreign trade
Great economic stimulus

Zaibatsu organization
Family companies
Holding company that holds interests in other companies

The Major Zaibatsu

Zaibatsu included banks, raw material, industrial and retail
networks
Top four Zaibatsu were Mitsui, Yasuda, Mitsubishi and Sumitomo

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Kawasaki and Nissan also rose to prominence at this time due to

increase in arms production
Exercised influence on politics through donations and
connections

Last lecture continued

Test beginning of semester to now - Wednesday before reading week
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
11:31 AM

The Major Zaibatsu

Lecture today focussing on economic, social and ideological developments

Small group that has their fingers in every sector of economy

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Family companies - unequal distribution of wealth
Small and medium Business

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Still an important part of the economy
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Produced 60% of manufactured goods by 1929
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Light industry
Making of parts, textiles

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Acting as sub contractors to the Zaibatsu
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Happening today
Lots of sub contracting in Ontario

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Often undercapitalised
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More exposed to fluctuations in the economy
First thing larger companies do is cut back on sub contracting if

economy is bad
Rural Society

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Severely disrupted by rapid social and economic change
Inability to pay the land tax

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Strong rise in tenant farming
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Rise in population led many to flee to the cities for work
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Economic crises have deepest impacts in rural areas
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Political power rooted in bureaucracy and political machines
Large landowners

Use control of property rented out to make the people vote a

certain way
Tenant Protest

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Nearly 2/3 of Japanese farmers were tenants by 1920
Huge economic and social revolution

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Rents high
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Increase in absentee landlords

Increasingly accelerated social processes

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Crops abundant in the 1920's
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Depressed prices
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Rural living increasingly precarious
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Significant increase in peasant protests and collective bargaining
during the 1920's
Farmers unions to negotiate rents and production

Urban Society
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Gains importance through industrialisation
Tokyo, Hiroshima, Kyoto

Japanese cities rival European cities in infrastructure, electricity

connections etc.
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Tokyo and other cities grow rivalling Western cities
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Growth in education and literacy
Industrial labour is an important element of urban life

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increasing disparity between industrial workers and other urbanites
These urban workers are often migrants

From the countryside

Increase in low income and slum neighbourhoods

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Tensions between older service oriented artisans and new industrial
workers
Labour movements
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Working conditions in industry often appalling
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Christians, inspired by European Christian Socialist movement from
late 19th century
Combined Christian values with workers rights

They form first unions

Idea of socialism and social democracy comes into Japan

through these Christians

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Growth in anarcho-syndicalism in the 1910's
Shift towards Marxism in the 1920's
Particularly influential in Russia and Spain
Labour Organizations
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Yuaikai (Friendship Association)
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Mutual aid organization
People would pay in, kind of insurance for workers

To help each other out

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Little effect on employers
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Increased labour militancy
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More strikes
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Labour still highly mobile
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Only 8% of workers join labour unions
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Sodomei (Japan Federation of Labour)
Would become principle labour coordinating group in Japan

Consequences
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Increasingly as strikes increased unionized workers would accelerate

violence
Workers started destroying machinery to get employers and

owners attention
Police would violently put down strikes and demonstration

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Half of strikes get concessions from management
Kind of successful

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Companies improve labour conditions cut down on strikes and labour
mobility
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Emphasis on the company as "family"
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Effective as union membership declined
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Two classes of workers
Concepts of the State
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Focus on the idea of kokutai, or national body
Basic makeup of the state

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Familial and organic vision of the state
Influence on other Asian countries

Idea of the state being a family with the emperor as the father

Role of the Emperor

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Minobe Tatsukichi said that the emperor was the highest organ of the
state but still subject to its laws
Emperor Organ Theory of government

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Emperor putting power into framework of constitution he has become
an element of the state, not an overarching controller of the state
Subject to constitution and its laws

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Attacked by conservatives
Ueseugi Shinkichi put forth ideas that the emperor was the

embodiment of the state

Christianity in Japan
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Christianity had little impact on Japan
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Disproportionate role of Christians in social welfare and labour
movements
Christians first to bring social democratic and Marxist ideologies

to Japan

Drugs you to accept society (religion)

New Religions
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Continued popularity of healing and popular religions
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Omoto-kyo
Healing cult founded by woman possessed by shinto god

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Appeal to economically disadvantaged
Moderate Socialism
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Social Democratic Party founded in 1901
Capitalism has abuses, instead of getting rid of system, use

legislation to curb capitalism

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Short existence
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Universal manhood suffrage in 1925
Before most working class men were not able to vote

Explains why social democracy didnt work that well

Those with right to vote were rich people

New social classes able to vote

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Three new social democratic parties
Labour-Farmer Party

Japan Labour-Farmer Party

Social People's Party

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Only 7 representatives in the Diet by late 1920's
Too many divisions

Anarcho-Syndicalism
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Especially influential during the 1910's
After the death of the Meiji Emperor to Kaisho Democracy

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Advocated the abolition of government and management of the
economy by workers
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Pushed strikes and demonstrations
Came to also emphasize things like selective assassinations

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High Treason Incident - 1910
Plot was found where young anarchists were plotting to murder

the Meiji Emperor

Makes this relatively marginal movement visible in Japanese

society
Underground ideology of revolutionary change in Japan

o
All social institutions involved in human subjugation
Marxism in Japan
o
Increased after success of Russian Revolution in 1917
o
Supported by those in search of social alternatives and reform
Appeals to industrial labourers

Intellectuals

Innovation by Lenin creating party organization based on cells

Small groups of people working in cells

Organized form of revolution

o
Communist party founded in 1920s
o
Many divisions led to dissolution in 1922
o
New underground movement in 1926
o
Strong government repression
Kawakami Hajime (1879-1946)
o
Influential economic and political thinker
o
Concerned about social and economic inequality
o
Inspired by Buddhist and Christian social thought
o
Later turns to Marxism as a way to abolish social inequality
Idea that change in history happens in an evolutionary way

o
Rather than saying classes were in conflict, he said different nations
and societies were in conflict
Japan, Germany, late industrialisers they have to maintain

international order in a way to benefit them

Responsibility to undermine international order thats

made for richest countries in the world

Justified something that Marx may not be in favour of

Feminism
o
Growth in movement for increased women's rights
Focused on improving legal position of women, education

Educated woman would be best able to support her husbands as

well as instilling the values of education to her children

o
See in early 20th century growing assertiveness of women
o
New social movements and magazines
Young unwed women entering the labour force

Non traditional areas of work

Once you were married, you left the workforce

o
New social movements and magazines advocating the "whole woman"
Not only in the home but also in society

Universal right of men to vote, further increased movement to

allow women to vote

Expanding the franchise

o
Led to new energy in movement, Federation of Women's Organization
has membership of 3 million by 1927
o
Movement for women's suffrage eventually fails
Political instability quashed it

o
Also socialist female activists
Radical and moderate

Marxist sphere , system preventing women from fully expressing

themselves
System itself needs to be overthrown and replaced

Get right to vote after WW2

Japan's descent into imperial war blocked women's franchise

efforts
Student Movements
o
Shinjinkai - 1918
Advocated greater power to the masses

Power to the people

o
Reform should come from youthful grassroots
o
Many join labour and communist movements after graduation
o
Recruiting ground for movements of reform
1918-1919 Japan suffers economic downturn

Ainu Movement
o
Ainu in Hokkaido increasingly marginalised
In 1920's

Arrangements for land given to Ainu made them very vulnerable

Ethnically and racially distinct

Very much same ways native American suffered in Canada and

US
o
Two responses
o
One stream advocated Ainu to get same rights as Japanese citizens
Same political rights

Others advocated revival of Ainu traditions, writing of Ainu folklore and

history
Society itself makes it difficult to live by traditions

Lost true sense of identity

The Burakumin
o
People that are discriminated against
o
Descendants of outcastes from Tokugawa times
They were the executioners, dirty work

Butchers, garbage collectors

Socially unclean people

Forced to live in separate villages and neighbourhoods

o
Japanese citizens had to register where they live
During marriage process families would want to find out where

the groom came from

o
Still social discrimination today
o
Suheisha (Levelers' Society - 1922)
Created to organize for education for Burakumin to go to school

and get an education

Use Japanese legal system to counteract economic and social

discrimination
o
Mixed results
Do get better education, actually enforcing constitutional

precepts in practical fact have a great deal of difficult being applied

Koreans
o
Increasing migration in the early 1920's
o
Koreans represented largest population of migrant workers coming into
Japan
o
300,000 Koreans in Japan by 1929
o
Unskilled labourers
Koreans working dirty, dangerous jobs for a lot less pay

o
Discrimination in wages and housing
Substandard housing

o
Certain neighbourhoods in Osaka and Kobe
Korean ghettoes in major cities

o
Attacks on Koreans after Kanto earthquake
Massacre of Koreans living in Tokyo accused of poisoning waters

in the wells
Wild rumours led to massacre of 100's of Koreans in Tokyo area

Migrant labourers were vulnerable

Not very well educated

o
Soaikai (Mutual Affection Society)
No be confrontational

Lobby for better housing and wages

Also Korean anarchists and Marxists

Group of Koreans peacefully lobbying for better conditions and

rights
o

Pan-Asianism
o
Arose in early 1900's
Reaction to Shidehara Diplomacy

Philosophy did not question Japanese Empire

Best way to ensure imperial security was to enter and be

active in new international institutions

League of nations etc.

Those that opposed liberalist foreign policy, created Pan
Asianism
o
Increasingly powerful in 1920's in reaction against Shidehara
diplomacy
o
Japan needs to emphasize Asian roots and cultivate contacts with other
Asians
Japan will never be fully accepted in Western system, should be

liberating power to liberate Asia from Euro control

o
Japan natural leader of Asia, other Asian countries should follow Japan's
leadership
Impact on Japanese Policy
o
Pan-Asianists advocated greater Japanese implication in Asia
o
Encouraged worries about Western powers
o
Racial equality clause in 1919 peace negotiations
o
Led to growing movement to assert Japan's interest on the continent
o
Popular in the region
Tanaka Giichi
o
Former general and protg of Yamagata Aritomo
Take over Yamagata's role of emphasizing militarily strong and

autonomous Japan
o
Became Prime Minister in 1927 as head of the Seiyukai
o
Staunchly conservative
o
Clamped down on radical movements in Japan
o
Japan an Asian power with special interests in conflict with Western
powers
Pan-Asianism

First politician to express sympathies to Pan-Asianism

Strongly questioned Shidehara Diplomacy

China
o
For most of the 1920s China was in disunity
21 demand imposed on China

Emperor dies in 1916

Nobody is strong enough in China to have strong central control

Provincial leaders and warlords break off and set up regional

governments

Areas of control in China

o
Strong Japanese resident, military, and economic presence in China
Treaty ports, areas of China that allow foreigners to live under

their own laws

o
Increased movement to establish Japanese predominance in Manchuria

Not great labour legislation in these ports

Cheap labour

Storm clouds over China

o
Tanaka afraid of impact of strong central government in China to
Japanese interests
o
Chiang Kai-shek leader of Northern Expedition and nationalist party
Brought in military trainers from USSR

Starting in 1925, gradually started advancing northward

Aim of creating a new Chinese republic

Main leader of China until he is overthrown by Mao Zhe Dong

o
Northern Expedition - 1927
Conquer a lot of central Chinese warlords

Deep into interior

By 1928 they take over Beijing

Have control over 2/3rds of China's territory

Most productive areas of Chinese territories

Relatively strong central government

o
Led to anti-Japanese boycotts and demonstrations
o
Shandong Peninsula
Culminated in Shandong city of Jinan in 1918

Japanese and Nationalist forces clash

Whither Japan?
o
Japan prosperous but unstable and unsure of its direction
Worldwide economic depression which started in late 20's was

already kind of happening in Japan

Inability of political leaders to work together and coordinate that

arises from the Depression

Less confidence in politics

o
Wide range of political, cultural, economic and social debates
o
Difficult to get consensus to overcome challenges of industrial
modernization and Japan's place in the world
o
Problems would be accentuated due to economic crisis in late 1920's
o
In the end unfortunately for liberal democracy, military would assert
itself and Japan would embark in a new direction
o
Leads to destruction of old Meiji constitution

Manchuria and "National Emergency"

Wednesday, February 3, 2016
11:25 AM

Quiz next week

Manchurian Incident in 1931

Shifted balance of power to military

Japan's best interests was in creating a special economic and political
zone in Asia
Rejecting international order that started in first world war

o
Military has success in rogue military elements, manages to rally a
large part of Japanese society on their side
Starts rupture between Japan and other Imperial powers

Military expansion
Japan and the Great Depression
o
Japan suffered a banking crisis which led to economic downturn in
1927
Some of Japan's major banks suffered a crisis

Couple went under, lots of people lost their savings

o
Accentuated by Great Depression in 1929
Right at the end, Japan was starting its recovery and then

another shake up happened

o
First major country to recover in 1932
This recovery was not really a recovery

o
Trade, prices, and incomes are halved
Everything has not recovered

Great potential for social and economic unrest in Japan

Like we see in Germany, Italy, U.S

o
Very profound economic effect that it had on people's personal lives
o
This economic unrest led to Nazis in Germany
Rise of military dictatorships

o
In Britain a long time of austerity economic stagnation
In States rise of FDR and New Deal

Economic Autarchy
o
Western countries felt threatened by cheap Japanese exports
Rise in protectionist policies to protect domestic economy

o
Instituted protectionist policies
Japanese made affordable and accessible goods

o
Led to declining foreign trade
Very harsh protectionist policies that closed their markets to

Japanese goods
o
Search for economic self-sufficiency by controlling an Asian economic
zone
o
Contributed to push for imperial expansion
Closing off of the markets leads Japan to increase their zone,

major power in Asia, expand power and create new markets

Economic Depression
o
Party governments did not cope well with economic crisis of 1920s and
1930s
Bribery scandals

Rely on donations from big business people

o
Parties often corrupt
Loss of confidence of a lot of people in political parties

o
o

Policies that are good for big business

o
Military presented itself as an honest broker
o
Opposed by parties and the zaibatsu
Fear of Zaibatsu that aggression would cause instability

The Military Moves

o
Military not responsible to the Diet
o
Emperor Hirohito weak
Strongly influenced by military people

Personal councillors are tightly connected to military

Easily influenced

o
Emperors dont usually exercise full powers given to them in the Meiji
constitution
Extremely rare for emperors to interfere in politics

Emperor wasnt active in choosing government

Didnt object to anything that was happening

Gave passive support to what was going on

Exercising traditional reserve that emperors had exercised since

the Meiji constitution

Believed it was a special mission for Japan to have imperial

expansion
o
Most of the military top brass weren't actually militarily aggressive
Problem before internet and tight communication

Japan have problems of communication

Serious problem

All of their army and navy were highly successful in WW2

Coordination and communication problems

Ongoing feud between Army and Navy and strongly

weakened their war effort
o
Ishiwara Kanji - commander of the Kwantung Army
Father of renewed expansion of Japan in 1930's

Nichiren Buddhism

Special role that Japan played in the Buddhist world as

representative of true Buddhism

Nichiren predicted Mongols would come but that Japan

would protect them

Incarnated in Japan so very special

Highly dogmatic

Dangerous marriage of religion and nationalism

Confrontation of good and evil, good is represented by Japan

Fight against evil, Western powers

o
Manchuria - resource rich place
Original homeland of the Manchu people

Forbidden for non Manchu related Chinese could colonize

this region

Fall of Chinese empire in late 19th/early 20th century

Japanese colonized this area

Need to overthrow Chinese warlord Zhang Xueliang and take over

Manchuria
He allied with new nationalist government

o
China during 1920's was unstable, republic had failed
During WW1 central government in Beijing fell

Power fell to wide range of warlords that carved China up for

themselves
o
Japanese commanders in Manchuria blow up Zhang and his son
succeeds him
Enters negotiations with nationalists and to dissociate himself

from the Japanese

o
Motivates Ishiwara to eliminate Zhang's son as well
Attack on Manchuria -1931
o
Train terrorist incident staged in Sept 18 1931
Bomb is staged along central Manchuria rail line

Only 3 people are killed

Ishiwara jumps on this quickly

Immediately launches an attack on Zhang Xueliang

Bomb was planted by Japanese

Zhang's forces are weaker than Japanese forces

o
Kwantung Army soon takes full control of southern Manchuria and
drives Xueliang to southern provinces
Ishiwara's attack was not warranted

He hadn't spoken with his superiors

Japanese are now faced with war that they hadnt planned
on
Government reaction
o
Government of Prime Minister Wakatsuki Reijiro caught by surprise
Not quite sure how to confront this

o
Army minister Minami tries to rein in officers of Kwantung Army
Was able to do this because of loose command

o
Japanese expansion in Manchuria would provoke Soviet Union
o
Japanese army was not prepared for a war with the USSR
Stalin is purging - not paying attention luckily

Weakening government structure

o
Prime Minister Wakatsuki tells public and world that they did not
condone the attack
o
Wakatsuki puts forth policy of non-expansion of hostilities
Manchurian Expansion
o
New incidents engineered in eastern Manchuria in late September
Japanese quickly successful

Very clear that the military could not be controlled

o
Quick Japanese success
o
High popular and press support for Manchurian takeover
o
Wakatsuki relents and gives belated approval to Kwantung Army
actions
o

Ishiwara's army is successful in expanding territory making a

new national project
The State of Manchukuo - 1932
o
Ishiwara continues provocations in the rest of Manchuria
o
Wakatsuki resigns in December 1931
o
Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi old and weak
Very weak politician

Place holder

o
Army minister Araki Sadao strongly supportive of Manchurian action
o
Wide public support
o
State of Manchukuo proclaimed in February 1932
o
Period of a year/year of a half Japan's line of sovereignty has expanded
suddenly
Right Wing Movements
o
Started forming in the late 1920's
o
Called for a Showa Restoration to restore Japan's greatness
Political and social revolution to overthrow corrupt Taisho

Democracy
Create new political and social system

Modeled on people of action taking over

o
Mix of military, students and peasant youths
Disoriented and disanfranchised

o
Aimed against "corrupt politicians and businessmen"
Brought Japan to their knees

o
Assassination campaigns in early 1932
Anyone against their agenda

o
First assassination is the old and weak prime minister
Militarisation
o
Prime minister Inukai assassinated in may 1932
o
Right wing groups emboldened
People that speak out against military groups are killed

Took it upon themselves to kill off opponents

o
Leaves a major power vacuum
People who oppose military expansion are killed or intimidated

to shutup
o
Appoint ex admiral Saito Makoto as prime Minister
o
Distrust of party politicians and parliamentarianism
o
Military expands its power
Diplomatic isolation
o
Separation of Manchukuo from China ruined Sino-Japanese relations
o
League of Nations report condemns Manchuria campaign in 1932
o
Japan defends its action on the basis of regional stability
Was negotiating with the Chinese nationalists to give stability to

region
o
League formally condemns Japan in early 1933
o
Japan withdraws
o
Huge popular support for withdrawal

Germany and Italy do as well

Bad boys get together

Fortress Manchuria
o
International isolation reinforced belief that survival meant establishing
hegemony in Asia
o
Puyi crowned Manchukuo Emperor
o
Real power in hands of Japanese- dominated board
o
Ishiwara is succesful
Control of 25 million people

Resources rich

Shifting lines of Advantage

o
Japan's expanding interests led to further raids into China to secure a
"line of advantage"
o
Campaign against "bandits" beyond the Great Wall in 1933
Any potential kind of Chinese resistance will be disposed of

Tanggu Truce of 1933 establishes demilitarised zone in Manchuria

Chinese Resistance
o
Increasing anti-japanese incidents in northern China
o
Communists reach Yanan in 1935
o
1935 - Japanese forced Chinese Nationalists to retreat from provinces
of Hebei and Chahar
o
Replaced by Chinese sympathetic to the Japanese
Party Weakness
o
No party Prime ministers after 1932
o
Mist ministers now from civil or military bureaucracies
o
Reduced presence of elected officials
Left politics, or were killed or imprisoned

o
Political parties still dominated the Diet
o
Much less willing to face other political elites
The bureaucracy
o
Increased power under military
Greater state control of economy and society

o
Suspicious of capitalism and politicians
Large role for government planning and coordination of labour

o
Aim to build up economy and military capacity
Economic plans that would be proposed on businesses

o
Government control of industry
Key industrial components especially petroleum and

automobiles
o
Petroleum Industry law- 1934 - setting quotas, reserve quotas, set
prices etc.
o
Automobile Industry Law - 1934
Tightening Political Discourse
o
Wide poplar support for militarism
Japanese conveniently forgot about this support after war

Blame deception of military

o
Intimidated dissidents

Press glorified imperial expansion

Sells newspapers

o
Military seen as more effective than party politicians
o
Minobe Tatsukichi and his emperor organ theory condemned by the
Diet in 1935
Japanism (Nihonshugi)
o
Emphasis on traditional values and the kokutai (national body)
Get rid of threats to national body

Emperor descended from line of divine emperors from time immemorial

o
Familial ties between emperor and his subjects
o
Increased attacks on liberalism, capitalism
Repression
o
Increased in the mid 1930s
o
Both extreme right and extreme left targeted
o
Peace preservation law 1925
Gave special police powers at time of national emergency to

eliminate threats against kokutai

o
147 rightists arrested on the basis of seditious activity
o
Large roundup of Communists and other leftists
Tenko
o
Change of direction
Or conversion

o
Almost religious connotations
o
Authorities used interminable interrogations and psychological and
physical torture to make leftists repudiate their ideology
o
Many communists repudiate their ideology and put marxism at the
service of national expansion
Financial Policy
o
Japan one of the first countries to recover from Great Depression
o
Finance Minister Takahashi Korekiyo
o
Government deficit spending on public works to revive Japan's
agriculture
o
Devaluation of the yen
o
Military expansion also boosted the economy
Business in the 1930's
o
Big zaibatsu retained dominant position
As the Zaibatsu saw the success of military ventures they lost

opposition and saw new areas as new business opportunities

o
Exploit closeness to government
o
Targeted by radical right terrorists
o
Zaibtasu start charitable giving to unemployed to stem attacks
o
Rise of Nissan through closeness to military authorities and
Manchurian investments
o
Automobiles - Nissan and Toyota
They emerge during this time

Active collaboration with 1930's militarist government

Splits among militarists

o

Imperial Way faction emphasized mystical devotion to the emperor and

traditional values
Japan's military expansion can exist on morale of army and focus

on emperor
o
Control faction emphasizes mechanisation of the army, economic
planning and modern technology
This will lead to our success

o
Imperial Way faction is much closer to young rightists,
o
Aizawa Saburo trial in 1936 motivates mystical soldiers to action
Imperial way faction confronts leader of Control Faction

Takes out his sword and stabs him

Feb. 26 1936
o
Coup attempt failed by radical right wing soldiers
o
Assassination of Finance Minister Takahashi, ex-premier Saito and
military inspectors
o
Prime Minister Okada Keisuke barely escapes assassination
o
Rebels take control of key positions in Tokyo area
o
Call for Showa Restoration
o
Inspired by Kita Ikki
Suppression of the Coup
o
The navy came out against the coup and moved against rebel positions
o
Emperor Hirohito orders army to put down the rebels
o
Mutineers surrender on February 29th 1936
o
Coup leaders and Kita Ikki are executed
o
Consolidates the power of control faction
Consolidation of the Military States
o
The coup shocked most Japanese
Backfires in a major way

o
o
o
o
o
o

Desire for stability

Control militarist faction in control
PM Hirota Koki
Stress on continued Japanese presence in Manchuria and Northern China
Still willing to negotiate with China
Military in firm control of the political agenda

Key Terms
Tuesday, February 9, 2016
2:45 PM

Japans Imperial Expansion

Hokkaid

Hokkaid Colonisation Office - in charge of settlement of Hokkaido, invite Americans in to help

them

Ainu - Ethnically different from Japanese, hunters/fisherman, traditional ways of life, clan and
tribish

1875Agreement over Kurile Islands with Russia = Russians get Sakhalin Island

Ryky Islandsspecial relationship with Satsuma

1874Japanese punitive expedition to Taiwan

1879Japanese annexation of Ryky Islands

Okinawa prefecture

1876--Treaty of Kanghwaunequal treaty with Korea - acts as a Western power in Asia, was
going to attack Kanghwa - Datsu - A ron

Yamagata Aritomofounder of Japans modern army

Line of sovereigntyJapans formal borders -

Line of advantagebuffer zone around Japanese possessions - militaristic politicians always

wanting to expand line of advantage

Jakuniku kyshokuweak are meat for the strong - Social darwinist thinking

Fukuzawa YkichiJapanese educator and reformer

Datsu-A rondiscourse of leaving Asia - Act as a Western power in Asia - supported by

Fukuzawa

Tianjin Convention1885 agreement between China and Japan over Korea

Tonghak Rebellion1894 - Rebellion in Korea China and Japan both send troops
Sino-Japanese War1894-1895 -

It Hirobumifather of Japanese constitution and prominent statesman

Treaty of Shimonoseki1895 - ends Sino-Japanese War

TaiwanJapans first colony

Liaodong peninsula - Japanese leasehold in Manchuria - Kwantung Leased Territory

Triple InterventionRussia, France, and Germany - Give back Shandong Peninsula

Boxer Rebellion1900 - society of harmonious fists - tai chi group large scale rebellion against
Japanese control

Anglo-Japanese Alliance1902 - Alliance against Russia to ensure France doesnt come to its
side if at war

Man-Kan kkanExchange Manchuria for Korea - freehand for Russia in Manchuria and
Freehand for Japan in Korea

Russo-Japanese War1904-1905 - Russian fleet destroyed at Strait of Tsushima

1905Treaty of Portsmouth - Back deal with US. Japan recognizes U.S interests in Philippines
and U.S recognizes Japanese interests in Korea

Sakhalin Island - given to Japan from Russia - oil rich

1905-1910Japanese protectorate over Korea

1907Abdication of King Kojong -

Oriental Development Company

1909It Hirobumi assassinated

1910Korea annexed to the Japanese empire

The Early Impact of Empire

DietJapanese parliament
Peace Preservation Law--1925 - gave government power to put down any threats to Kokutai
Itagaki TaisukeConstitutional Liberal Party
Okuma ShigneobuProgressive Party
Kenseitnew merged party
Seiykaipolitical party founded by It Hirobumi - Conservative militarist party
Saionji Kinmochileader of the Seiykai after It
Hara KeiSeiykai political tactician
Katsura Tarprime minister supported by Yamagata Aritomo
1912Meiji emperor dies
Taish emperor (1912-1926)
Taish Crisis1912-1913
Rikken Dshikai/Kensikai (after 1916)political party founded by Katsura Tar
Kat KomeiJapanese foreign minister during World War I
Shandong PeninsulaGerman sphere of economic influence in China - get it after WW1
MicronesiaGerman colonies in the northwest Pacific
21 Demands - demanded China use Japanese advisors on modernization - too harsh of demands Reject last part of demands

League of Nations - collective security organization

Racial Equality Clause - rejected by League - Canada, UK, Germany harsh immigration policies
Taish Democracyperiod of political party dominance in the 1920s
1925Universal male suffrage
Shidehara KijurJapanese foreign minister during the early 1920s - be a part of international
institutions, supporter of Western ideologies - Datsu A ron
Nitobe Inazundersecretary-general of the League of Nations
Washington Conference--1921 - Japanese are given favourable Naval capacities in the pacific
Got ShinpeiFirst governor of Taiwan
Nany Territoriesname given to new Japanese colonies in Micronesia
South Seas Development Company - Company in charge of infrastructure and colonization of
Micronesia
KarafutoJapanese colony in southern Sakhalin island - reaches 100,000 eventually
Kwantung Leased TerritoryOfficial name given to Japanese territory in the Liaodong
Peninsula - Manchuria
South Manchurian Railway Company
Kwantung ArmyJapanese army protecting Japanese interests in southern Manchuria - Led by
Ishiwara Kanji
Dark Ages (1910-1919)period of repressive Japanese military rule in Korea - only Korean
led organizations are religious groups
1919March 1st movementindependence demonstrations in Korea - 1 million demonstrators
strong
Cultural Policy (bunka seiji) - allow for more Korean magazines, civilian led government
Mobo/moga - modern boy/ modern girl
Takarazuka playersall-female theatre company

The Tumultuous Twenties

Great Kant earthquake1923 - massive destruction, thousands killed - Koreans are blamed for
poisoning water and 100's are slaughtered in aftermath of earthquake

Zaibatsu
Mitsui
Mitsubishi
Sumitomo
Yasuda

Nissan, Kawasakinew zaibatsu

Yaikai (Friendship Association)mutual aid labour organisation - pay into fund to help each
other out in times of need

SdmeiJapan Federation of Labour - first union

Kokutainational body

Minobe Tatsukitchi

Emperor organ theory - Theory by Minobe Tatsukitchi saying that the emperor is not outside
the laws of the state - condemned theory by the Diet in 1935

Uesugi Shinkichiconservative political thinker - Emperor is the embodiment of the state response to Minobe

mot-kyJapanese new religion in the early 20th century - woman healer possessed by Shinto
god

Socialist Democratic Party1901

Socialist parties
Labour-Farmer Party
Japan Labour-Farmer Party
Socialist Peoples Party - get 7 seats in Diet, too much division

Anarcho-syndicalism - workers govern themselves in syndicates, abolition of government

High Treason incident1910 - plot to assassinate the Meiji emperor by rightist extremists

Japan Communist partyfounded 1920, revived 1926

Kawakami Hajime (1879-1946) - Marxist economist - instead of classes against each other,
individual countries against each other trying to survive

Federation of Womens Organisations

Shinjinkaileft-wing student association

Burakumindescendants of Tokugawa-era outcastes - executioners, garbage men - socially and

economically disadvantaged

Suheisha (Levelers Society)1922 - attempt to give Burakumin education and employment

opportunities

Saikai (Mutual Affection Society)organisation of Koreans resident in Japan to peacefully

lobby for better working conditions and wages

Pan-Asianism - disregard the West and focus on being the pre-eminent power in Asia, west will
never fully accept Japan - rejection of human equality clause in League. Response to Datsu A ron

Ta Dbunkai (East Asia Common Culture Society)

Tanaka GiichiPrime Minister in 1927

China
Nationalist Party (Guomindang)
Chiang Kai-sheknew leader of the Nationalist party - until overthrown by Mao Zhe Dong
Northern Expedition1927

Jinan incident1928Japanese military intervention in Chinas Shandong peninsula

Manchuria and National Emergency

Banking crisis1927 - some banks folded, some people lost everything

Great Depression1929 - accentuated crisis

1926Hirohito becomes the Shwa emperor

Kwantung ArmyJapanese army posted in the Liaodong peninsula in Manchuria

Ishiwara Kanjicommander of the Kwantung army - strong supporter of Nichiren Buddhism

Zhang XueliangChinese warlord in control of Manchuria

Manchurian IncidentSept. 18, 1931 - Japanese plant a bomb along their rail line in Manchuria,
Ishiwara Kanji immediately launches a strike on Xueliang

Wakatsuki ReijirJapanese prime minister at the time of the Manchurian incident, can't control
Kwantung army, eventually resigns and leave politics

Inukai TsuyoshiPrime minister after the Manchurian campaign

Feb. 1932Proclamation of the State of Manchukuo - Puyi made emperor of the state

Shwa Restoration - Rightists take control of key points in Tokyo calling for a return to
traditional values with the emperor at the centre of the government. Hirohito orders the navy and
army to put down the rebellion. Inspired by Kita Ikki all executed

May 1932Prime Minister Inukai assassinated

Admiral Sait Makotonew Prime Minister from 1932-1934

1933Japan withdraws from the League of Nations

PuyiLast Qing emperor; emperor of Manchukuo

Tanggu Truce1933 - truce with Chinese

1935Chinese Communists reach Yanan

1935Chinese Nationalists forced from Hebei and Chahar in northern China by Japanese forces

1934Petroleum Industry Law - set reserve quotas, set prices, etc.

1934Automobile Industry Law

Japanism (Nihonshugi) -

Tenkrenunciation of Marxism by captured Communists - torture and psychological

conditioning to renounce

Takahashi KorekiyoJapanese finance minister in the early 1930s

Nissan, Kawasaki, Toyotanew conglomerates

Imperial Way faction (kd-ha) - Japan will continue to grow and prosper on the morale of army
and will of emperor

Control faction (tsei-ha) - Japan will continue to grow and prosper by focusing on technological
and military developments - after 1936 Trial of Aizawa Saburo, control faction takes control

1936Aizawa Saburo trial stabbed leader of Control faction in chest

Feb. 26, 1936Coup attempt by right-wing soldiers - Sowa Restoration

Kita Ikkiinspirer of the coup attempt

Hirota Kkinew prime minister after suppression of 1936 coup

Life in the Empire in the 1930s

Wednesday, February 10, 2016
11:42 AM

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In 1933 Japan exits League of Nations

Condemned by league for creation of Manchukuo
Japan actively allied with Germany and Italy
Reorganize and reorder international order
Japanese Fears and Aims
Fear of Soviet Union
Aggression in Manchuria fear of aggression from USSR

Stalin is very concentrated on creating a heavy industrial

economy
Looking inwards
Cuts down on outside adventurism
Purges communist party
Anti-Comintern Pact- 1936
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Pact to between Italy, Germany and Japan to protect against
international communism
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If USSR attacks one of these countries other signees will come to
rescue
In fact Japanese didnt need to fear them as much
Provided wonderful justification for what Japanese militarists
were doing
In 1936 Italy withdrew from League after invading Addis Ababa
Desire to consolidate control in East Asia
Desire to rebuild Japanese navy
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Build more ships than allowed by Washington Conference
Unease in China
Japan in control of areas of China north of the great Wall
Also positions in area near Beijing
Truce signed between Chang Kai Shek and Japanese

Nanjing is the capital of China at this point

Neutral buffer zone around Beijing

Hardening Chinese resistance

Chang Kai Shek was more worried about communism Mao Zhe
Dong
A lot of pressure on Chang Kai Shek to ally himself with the
communists and fight the Japanese in a unified front
Xian Incident - December 1936
Invited Chinese Communists to Xian

Chang Kai Shek was locked in a hotel room and wasnt

allowed out until he signed an agreement to unify the front

against Japanese
Signs the agreement between Nationalists and

Communists pointedly aimed against Japanese

Stronger resistance from Chinese to Japanese expansion

The Marco Polo Bridge Incident July 7th 1937

Bridge just outside of Beijing in the middle of a demilitarized
zone between Chinese forces and Japanese

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Confrontation between Japanese and Chinese troops north of

Beijing
No one knows who fired the first shots

Tensions between Japan and China high

Army High Command advocates peaceful solution
Beginning of negotiations
Konoe Fumimaro
Became prime minister in June 1937
Came from prominent aristocratic family
Konoe northern branch of the Fujiwara family

Connected with Saionji Kinmochi

Who had been prime minister in the first decade of the

1900's one of the last surviving second generation of Genro

Last surviving genro

Helped in gaining PM office

Pan Asianist
Japan was all alone in the world, justified in creating

independent political and economic zone in East Asia

Pro- imperialist

Pro-expansionist

Connected to more extreme sections of the military

War in China
Chiang Kai Shek moved Nationalist troops into demilitarized
zones
Konoe ups the tensions
Some leading generals advocated to attack Chiang
Believed Guomindang forces could be easily defeated
Followed the Russia strategy of retreating inwards

Never able to control all of China

By early August 1937 Japanese troops occupied Beijing

Chiang kai Shek shows his people he is willing to fight

Japanese
Japanese respond by sending more troops, more brutal
Expansion of the War
Chiang kai-shek moves troops to Shanghai area
Area of very crucial Japanese interests

Deep economic interests

Japanese dispatch large numbers of troops to Shanghai and

other major Chinese cities
Chinese resistance is fierce
Shanghai falls three months later
Beginning of November 1936, 600,000 Japanese troops
The Rape of Nanjing - December 1937
Conquered Chinese capital of Nanjing in December 1937
They wanted to make an example of Nanjing for other

Chinese cities
Destruction, looting, rape and murder

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Japanese generals said go for it

No control
Encouragement of brutal terror
Between 200-300,000 people were murdered in two weeks
Official Japanese inquiry put the number of casualties at 50,000
Massacre
Resistance is futile
Japan controls most populous quarter of China proper
Stalemate in China
In spite of defeats, Chiang Kai-shek refused to surrender
Frustrated Japanese expand attacks in 1938
Their actions have further increased Chinese resistance
Trying to get Chiang Kai-shek to buckle
Xuzhou, Canton and Hankou conquered
Resistance and terrain prevent Japanese from expanding to the

West
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Communists hound Japanese in north

850,000 Japanese troops in China by end of 1938
Way before Pearl Harbour

Stalemate in the war in China that leads to

A New Order in East Asia

Theory set up to justify Japan's expansion
Ongoing money and people that are being sent to China to fight
Konoe accused Chiang of being a pawn of the West
Liberating China from Western imperialism

Not only that he has allied with Communists

Aim to create anti-western, anti-Communist alliance of the

Japanese empire, Manchukuo and a new Chinese government friendly
to Japan
Acting against interests of Asia
This idea of being leader of Asia gives special perception of
superiority
Towards a new Political Order
A frustrated Konoe resigned as PM in jan. 1939
Frustrated by stalemate in China

Called again to power in July 1940, next two prime ministers

after him can't advance war
Aim to refocus the political order to better mobilise imperial
resources for the war effort
Attempt to create mechanisms to bypass bureaucratic and
legislative institutions
Militarists had come to power by exploiting the Meiji

constitution
Hitler was successful in bypassing the Reichstag
Mass based popular movement
The IRAA
Imperial Rule Assistance association

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Designed to be a mass based, parallel government party

To coordinate between the masses and government
Eventually designed to override Meiji Constitution in this state of
national emergency
This is where Japan is unlike Fascist italy and Nazi germany
Led by charismatic leaders

Reaction
Some supported this proposal in order to consolidate war effort
Others oppose this as interfering with traditional institutions
Government gridlock, unhappy with policies
Compromise
IRAA comes under control of bureaucracy

Came to mainly mobilise popular support for the war

The national Defence State
Japan allied to European fascist states, but different in
organisation
Old institutions remained
In Italy they took away church

Revolving door governments

No mass based party under a charismatic leader
Militarists subverted and used existing institutions to remove
their independence and focus on imperial expansion
Effect on the economy
Movement to have increased government intervention to help
war effort
Konoe failed to broker relationship between masses and

government
Still needed to mobilise the population to support war

effort
Cabinet Planning Board - 1938
Coordinate economic interests for the war effort

Nationalisation of electricity
Aim to reorganize industries into cartels that would be closely
tied to government planning agencies
National General Mobilisation Law
Attempt to formalize government control of the economy
Aroused large opposition
Big business did not want to be dictated by government,

they wanted to be involved in the planning

Watering down of government control provisions
Renewed attempts also put down
Wage, price, and profit controls imposed
Business co-opted to support and profit from war effort
Businesses included in planning

Effects on the Empire

Colonial economies re-focussed to supply Japanese home islands
and war effort

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Generally successful
Aim to create an autarkic economic bloc, independent of the
world economy
Still some foreign trade
Continued dependence on foreign trade for essential war
resources would eventually lead to attacks on Southeast Asia in 1941
Needed minerals, rubber etc.

Oil

Integrating Occupied China

China not to be formally annexed but treated as an inferior "ally"
Areas that China came to control were separated originally
Areas in Northern China and Central China

As Japan continued to expand they created two regional

governments
Eventually unified as Reorganised Government of the Republic of
China
Headed by Wang Jingwei an old rival of Chiang Kai-shek
Imperialism doesnt work without collaboration with the

population
People in these areas see it in their interests to cooperate

with Japanese
Exploitation of resources
Korea
Korea major base for Japan's expansion to Manchuria and China
Increased industrialisation
Closeness to front and Japanese home islands

Unlike what happens in other empires, they invest a lot in

industrialising Korea
Increased strategic interest in Korea by Japan
Increasing emphasis on closer integration with the empire
Accentuated with China war in 1937
Korea is an example of effort by Japs to closely integrate

these colonies
Policy Changes in Korea
1934 - increasing emphasis on Japanese language learning for
Koreans
Only school system is Japanese

Teach Koreans Japanese, take their role as diggers, factory

workers etc.
1935 - Shinto Shrine Controversy
Go to Shinto Shrines to incorporate goal of serving

emperor
Controversy for Christians

Refusing to bow down in Shinto shrines to worship

emperor
1939 - Name change policy

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Change their names to Japanese if teachers and involved

in government
Basic identity of people is disrupted

Official end of Cultural policy

By 1940 all independent Korean newspapers and nongovernmental bodies shutdown
Aim to assimilate Koreans and make them lose their heritage
Have no rights

Collaboration and Problems

Most Koreans did not have close contact with Japanese
government
Elites increasingly compromised
Landlords and businessmen had to deal with the Japanese
Businessmen profit from Japan's wars
Korean often admiring Japan's victories
Mass Migration
Forced and unforced labour to Manchuria, Japan and Sakhalin
islands
Mass movement from agricultural south to industrialising north
of the country
Comfort women for Japanese army
Particular policy was done by the army to control

prostitution
Japanese soldiers are going to frequent prostitutes

anyway
Army controlled operation, check on them make sure they

dont have any STI's and service the needs of Japanese soldiers
Recruiting throughout the empire

Chinese and Taiwanese, Korean girls were often most

targeted
Locals doing recruiting, deceiving young women

When they go back to their countries it was not very

much discussed
Came to attention of Western world, certain Dutch woman

had been pulled in when Japan conquered China

50-100,000 comfort women

4 million Koreans dislocated due to war by 1945

Culture
Art, literature, film and music increasingly diverted to support
the war effort
Mobilise support for war

Particularly effective in using these mediums

Japanese propaganda interesting Essay topic

Initial public support for this

Dissent is quashed
Very much this idea of people ratting on their neighbours

Rat out enemies of the Empire

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Western styles in fashion and music declared illegal

Education
Kokutai no hongi (Essentials of the National Polity)
Essentially state sponsored propaganda importance of

war, emperor and fighting against West + Communism

One big imperial family under the fathership of Emperor

Education is more and more focused on justifying Japan's unique

imperial mission in establishing a new order in East Asia
Expansion of martial arts and military education
Home economics and industrial training for girls
Communications
Increase in newspaper publication and radio ownership
Important for Manchurian intervention

War sells newspapers

Cooperate with government actions

Bought a radio, need a license to listen to your radio

Increased censorship
Who is owning radios and who is listening

Licenses

Newspapers and radios important for propaganda

NHK - better known for TV

Mass organisations
Labour and burakumin organisations coopted
Telling them to cooperate with us or go to jail

Labour unions organised into Industrial Patriotic Federation

League of Japanese Women's Organisations
Plays a great role in mobilising support for war

Worried about organisations they felt they couldnt control

Clampdown of new religions

Seen as threatening to social order

Shinto focus on Emperor

Didnt want other religions to distract populace from what

they were trying to do

Established religions were forced to meld together into

united Buddhist organisations controlled by government

Aim of new social organisations was to mobilise support of the
war
Effect on Japan
War increased conformity
If you feel that your country is in an emergency situation,

much greater pressure to not question what your government is

doing
Did not want to be imprisoned

People conformed for different reasons

Continued their day to day lives

Lots of politicians, teachers, went into the countryside and

waited things out

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When Japan loses the war, quite a pool of people who had
not participated in the governments that the Americans could rely
on to create new Japanese leadership
Different reasons for conformity will help push their agendas
Believed propaganda
Emphasis on loyalty and unquestioning service to the state
Give women right to vote in 1945
Leads to blind nationalism
Isolation accentuates Japan's sense of divine mission
As long as they were successful in endeavours, people
mostly did no come out
Everybody is against Japan
Furthered feeling fighting for Japan to have its proper role
in East Asia
War in China continues during WW2

World War 2 impact

Wednesday, March 2, 2016
11:30 AM

Second Source document assignment Due March 30th Modern Japan: A History of
Documents
Read documents alone, see main themes, analyze examples from document
World War 2
Japan cut off -Social impact

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Food and clothing scarce
Production is focused on military war goods

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Many leave cities
De-urbanization

Fire bombings effect urban areas

Going into the country side

Growing their food

Keep body and soul together, go up to mountains and eat wild

herbs
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Growth in black market
Army continues to be well supplied at expense of civilians

Commanding officers and soldiers embezzle goods and sell to

civilians
People are desperate for food

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No active anti-war movement

Militarists have been successful in controlling social discourse

A lot of people sat in their corner and waited it out
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Passive resistance
People not being over enthusiastic about rallies

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Anti-government graffiti
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Shoddy production
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Increasing absenteeism
Their way to get back at the military

Hard to find who was responsible for shoddy work

Many Japanese civilians tiredness, and resentment

Desperation that happens as the war goes on

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Hiroshima and Nagasaki nuclear bombed
Peace Rumblings
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Shidewara Kanji was not enthusiastic about expanding the war beyond
Manchuria, wanted to consolidate it first
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Taisho democrats had retired
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Yoshia Shigeru, a former ambassador to Britain starts organizing an
elite peace group
First post occupation Prime Minister

Maintained friendships with people

Retired, went in his corner and didnt say anything

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Before fire bombings happened he started reaching out and using his
connections to form elite peace group
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Includes Konoe Fumimaro
This guy expanded war into China

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Peace group is very much focused on civilian leaders
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Proposal in Feb. 1945 to send Konoe to Moscow to ask for Soviet
mediation for peace
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Soviets reject offer
Remained faithful to Non-aggression pact

He didnt feel that this was representative of all of Japanese

government
Refused

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Possible that Soviets had their own designs on Asia
Resistance to Peace
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Some new success in China hardened army's resistance against ending
war
Several years of stalemate, make advances

Can still conquer territory

Americans are bombarding them

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Army intransigence forces PM Koiso to resign
After Prime Minister Tojo resigned

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Suzuki Kantaro appointed as PM
Unfortunately for the military defeats continue in Iwo Jima and

Okinawa
Huge loss of life

Very few prisoners taken as Japanese soldiers prefer to fight to

the death
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Army intransigent
Force civilians to commit suicide as well

Throw themselves off cliffs

Extreme loss of life

On both sides

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At the borders of Japan's home islands
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Plans estimated that invasion of Kyushu and take over of Japan would
take 1.5 years and would lead to 1 million American casualties and
probably double Japanese
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Very fateful decision
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Any strategy we can use?
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Fateful decision of dropping atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
Postdam Declaration
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Issued by Allies inlate July 1945
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Allied states - Canada, U.S, U.K, China, France meet together in
Postdam
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Calls for Japan's unconditional surrender
Lay out the up line of the new order

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How to end war in Asia
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Japan to be occupied by allied powers and stripped of its empire
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Also offer of reconstruction and assurances that ordinary Japanese
people would be protected
Not be mistreated

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No assurances for the emperor
Ambiguity with the emperor, means that the top military

commanders do not want to sue for peace

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Allies themselves were divided about what to do with the Emperor
Wanted to put the emperor up for trial

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Americans were weary of putting emperor up for trial, might be useful
for transition period
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Leads to Japan's military leaders ignoring the declaration
The Atom Bomb August 1945
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The US decides to drop atom bomb on Japan
Americans began testing bomb in 1945, list of Japanese cities

would be dropped on first

Hiroshima first on list, then Nagasaki then Kyoto

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First bomb dropped on August 6th 1945 on Hiroshima
45,000 people die instantly

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Another reason for dropping, strongly pressuring Soviet union to enter
war, but didnt want USSR to take over large parts of Asia
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Japanese still debate surrender
Soviet enter war a few days after Hiroshima

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A second bomb is dropped on Nagasaki on August 9th 1945
More death in the days afterwards

Injured people die of burns and radiation sickness

More people die after than were instantly incinerated

Less successful
It was cloudy, did not hit downtown Nagasaki
Northern suburbs more damaged
Hills protected from the blast
25,000 people killed instantly
60,000 die of injuries
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Loss of life from fire bombings was bigger
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We will continue to drop nukes if you dont surrender
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Using terror as a war strategy, to prevent in American eyes even worse
which is invading home islands
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If USSR how much of Asia is going to fall into soviet hands?
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Atom bombs exploded mid air
The USSR and the War
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Sensing the war ending the USSR declared war on Japan on August 8th
1945
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Invaded Manchuria and Northern Korea
Strong effect on both countries

Korea continues on as a divided peninsula is a result of these

invasions
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Soviet position set to be strong after the war
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Chinese communists eventually win Civil War
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Motivates Americans to end war quickly
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Highly likely USSR would have occupied parts of Japan
Decision for Surrender
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Debate on position of the emperor after the war
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Allies unclear
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Emperor Hirohito sides with those advocating peace
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Issues rescript of surrender in early morning of August 15
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Done as an address to the Japanese people and does not alienate the
army
Signing of Surrender Sept. 2 1945
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Harbour outside Tokyo, USS Missouri between Sir Douglas Macarthur
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All allied powers were present at the signing
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All there to put signatures on the document
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WW2 comes to an official end
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Lost millions of people, economy is destroyed, first time in its history
occupied by foreign occupiers
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How do japanese people react?
A lot felt betrayed

Lost their families and friends

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Military eventually blamed for so much suffering on the people

Key Terms
Tuesday, March 15, 2016
8:34 PM

Life in the Empire in the 1930s

Anti-Comintern Pact1936 - Signed between Germany, Italy and Japan against USSR

Xian incident1936 - Supporters of Nationalist and Communist unified front set up Chiang Kaishek, lock him in hotel room until he signs agreement to fight Japanese with Communists

Marco Polo Bridge IncidentJuly 7, 1937 - Japanese and Chinese forces exchange shots

Konoe FumimaroPrime Minister in June 1937 - expansionist, imperialist, pan asianist

Shanghai - Taken by Japanese in early part of war 1936

Rape of NanjingDec. 1937 - rape, murder, looting 200-300,000 murdered

ChongqingChiang Kai-sheks new base in western China

Imperial Rule Assistance Association - Association in charge of getting popular opinion behind
less government and more military control - eventually controls bureaucracy

National General Mobilisation Law1938 - interfered with economy - strongly resisted by big
business

Reorganised Government of the Republic of ChinaJapanese collaborationist government in

China

Wang Jingweihead of Reorganised Chinese government - old adversary of Chiang Kai Shek

1935Shinto Shrine controversy in Korea - Christian Koreans refused to bow at Shinto shrines

1939Korean name change policy - If in government or a teacher much change name to

Japanese

Kokutai no hongi (Essentials of the National Polity) - basically propaganda and education
supporting Japan's fight against the West and China, Pan asianism and military, empire

The Greater East Asia War

Nomonhan incident1939

Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

1939Nazi-Soviet non-aggression pact - signed between Germany and USSR, Hitler promised
Stalin Poland

1940German conquest of France and the Netherlands

Vichy FranceFrench government friendly to Nazi Germany

August 1940Japanese bases installed in French Indochina

Sept. 1940Tripartite Pact between Germany, Japan, and Italy

Dec. 1940Thai-Japanese alliance

April 1941Japanese-Soviet non-aggression pact

June 1941Germany invades the USSR

July 1941Japanese expand to all of Indochina

Oct. 1941Konoe Fumimaro resigns

Tj Hidekinew Japanese Prime Minister

Dec. 7/8, 1941Attack on Pearl Harbor

Comfort women - 50-100,000 comfort women, stolen by military and regulated girls - not
found out until Western world discovered a Dutch woman who had been a victim of the Japanese

May 1942Battle of Coral Sea - U.S decimate Japanese fleet

June 1942Battle of Midway

August-November 1942Battle of Guadalcanal

Early 1944Saipan and Tinian taken by US forces

Oct. 1944Battle of Leyte Gulf

Firebombing campaignsfrom March 1945

Yoshida Shigeruleader of elite peace movement - wants Konoe to go to Moscow to meet with
Stalin to sue for peace

Feb. 1945failed attempt by Konoe Fumimaro for Soviet help for peace - Stalin didnt believe it
represented all of Japanese government

Iwo Jima - Fierce battle, close to home

Okinawa - also firce battle, close to home

July 1945Potsdam declaration

August 6, 1945Atomic bombing of Hiroshima - 45,000 incinerated instantly

August 9, 1945Atomic bombing of Nagasaki - 25,000

August 8, 1945USSR enters war against Japan - Invades Manchuria and Northern Korea Divided to this day because of invasions

August 15, 1945Japanese surrender

Sept. 2, 1945Signing of surrender on USS Missouri

The Occupation Years

Wednesday, March 16, 2016
11:46 AM

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Japan After the War

Japan in a state of devstation
Vast psychological disorientation
Demobilised soliders and former colonists returning to Japan
Problems of food supplies and distribution of goods
Cities destroyed

Nukes at Hiroshima and Nagasaki

Fire bombings of Tokyo, Kobe, etc.

Wide potential for instability

People died of starvation
Died in attempt of getting food
Japanese open to new ideas
There's nothing left

Old ideas for a lot of people have brought Japan to this

desperate state
Betrayed by military, betrayed by elites

Rebuild Japan and society

People in shock

Savings disappeared
People sit staring blankly
The Occupation
In spite of original fears, allied occupation was benevolent and
constructive
American predominance
Japan is a very strategic place in East Asia

Growing power of USSR

Cold war intentions

Showcase democratic capitalism in Japan

Americans follow similar policy in Western parts of

Germany
Headed by Sir Douglas Macarthur
Larger than life figure, thought a lot of himself

Thought he was the bees knees

Arrogant, controlling

Very effective and courageous

Government often known as SCAP (Supreme Commander of

Allied Powers)
So dominant over allied military government just called

SCAP
Aim to replace militarism with a pacifist liberal society
Dismantle military

West Germany, allowed to restore military

Japan renounces war and does not have military forces

Americans regret making them do this

Creating a New Polity

Demilitarisation of Japanese society
Democratise political process
Decentralise wealth and power
Weren't very successful

Powerful people gave wealth and power to militarists in

help to create militarist state

If wealth is more equally distributed maybe this might

help middle and lower class people have greater investment in

society
Emperor retained, but no longer divine
Immediate Legacy of the War
Japan lost its empire and colonies
Japan returned to 1868 borders
Purge of those most connected to Japan's militarist government
Input of politics restricted

Tokyo war trials

American's keep Okinawa as a protectorate until the

1970's
Lose the Kirile Islands
Russia takes over all islands

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Sakhalin
Toky war trials
28 major leaders indicted
Top leaders executed
In the end less successful than Nuremberg trials

Emperor not indicted

Debate about justice of the trials
Americans less concerned about old right wing of people

controlling Japan and focussed on growth of communism

Some people closest to militarist regimes, rehabilitated

politically
Abe wants to remove article 9 that renounces war
Government censors war
Hardly ever talked about

The 1947 Constitution

Written by Americans
New political structure a constitutional monarchy on the British
model
Americans asked for proposals

All too close to Meiji constitution

Unsatisfactory for Americans

Upper house elected

Sovereignty resides in the people and enshrinement of individual

rights
British model wins
Article 9 Eternal renunciation of war
Self defence Forces created in 1953 under U.S pressure
Japanese liked the idea of not having an army

Divert money being spent on military to reconstruction,

economic planning and prosperity

Restriction on spending of self defence forces only 1

percent of GDP
Economic policies
Land reform created a new class of independent farmers
End of second world war 3/4 of Japanese farmers were

tenants
Redistribute land

Creating new land reform, landowners keep enough land

for themselves
Zaibatsu
Success more mitigated

Break up some

Lost their holding companies \

Had to share power with share holders

Reorganized into looser conglomerates known as keiretsu

Trade federations based on banks

Banks act as centre of new organization

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Labour unions also encouraged

Retreat on Reform
Socialist and Communist parties increasingly influential on
labour
Red purge

Communist party destroyed

Increased strikes
Growing tensions of Cold War affect SCAP's attitude toward
labour
Tightening of labour union regulations
Reg purge
Relaxation of campaign against business
US Aims
Most US aims achieved by 1947
Formal peace treaty needed Soviet Approval
US aimed to encourage economic prosperity and democracy in
Japan to counter-balance Communist influence
Americans gave a lot of funding for reconstruction
Japanese version of Marshall Plan

Road to self government

First elections held in 1946
Major parties were democratic, liberal and socialist parties
Liberal party dominant
1947-48 - Brief democratic-socialist coalition
Communist party also present with some support
1955 - Formation of Liberal Democratic Party
Yoshida Shigeru (1878-1967)
Stayed in the shadows bided his time, started the elite peace
movement
Once occupation stops, he remerges
Political policies
Emphasis on economic reocvery and development

Lukewarm towards the occupation

Emphasis on active government coordination with

business for economic planning

Korean War helped in re-industrialisation

Yoshida forced from power in 1954

Basis for Economic Success

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Efficient coordination between government and industry
Private sector still dominant in this model

Competition intense

Companies most successful towed the line with economic

planning

High savings rate

Came from the fact that Japanese people didnt have a lot

left at the end of the war

Generation is particularly affected by the war, what

happens if we lose everything

Savings that are going into conglomerate's banks, give

loans to themselves

Saving's in government banks give higher returns

Effective absorption and improvement of technology

transfers from abroad
An Export Driven Economy
Focus on textiles at first
Shift to heavy industry
Automobiles

Production of cheap goods for export

Cheap,

1960's cheap and good quality products

Manufacturing areas built next to ports to maximise
export efficiency
Japan became the largest shipbuilder in the world
Obstacles to a Peace Treaty
Disagreements among allies over provision of final peace
treaty
Should Japan be neutral or actively allied with the United
States
Remilitarisation?
Korean War 1950- 1953
Wanted to end war
Compromise
Japan important base for Un forces in Korean War
Helped economic recovery
Yoshida favourable to US alliance
Sees advantages of American in Japan

Protects Japanese from USSR

Not favourable to renewed Japanese military

1951 San Francisco Treaty of 1951
Formal peace treatywith the Allied powers
Communist powers walk out
Restoration of diplomatic times

Occupation personnel to be withdrawn

Full recovery of sovereignty (except for Okinawa)
Recognition of need to assist Japan in economic recovery
and integration in international institutions
US- Japan Security Treaty
Signed a few hours after San Francisco Treaty
Permits US troops to be stationed in Japan indefinitely
with mandate to maintain peace in East Asia
US military permission needed for cooperation with their
countries

Asia

Treaty to be reviewed in 1960

Ongoing aea of controversy
Nature of alliance is an important cornerstone of Japan's
economic prosperity, controversial relationship as well
Japan becomes pillar of American Cold War strategy in

Criticism of subordinate independence

Challenges
Economic reconstruction
Occupation has helped to provide firm foundation
US-Japan relationship
Extra-territoriality
Cold war
Political stability
International relations with other Asian countries
How does Japan deal with cold war alliances
Korea - not friendly
Peaceful economic development

Growth and affluence

Wednesday, March 23, 2016

11:31 AM

Exam: Structure similar to midterm except everything from January

1989 year that emperor Hirohito dies

o
Next couple years after emperors death, huge economic swings
o
Real estate bubble
o
Effects are still felt today
o
Japan fastest aging society
o
China has ten times population of Japan
Same size economy

In spite of its problems, still very prosperous society

Provides well for its people

Political consolidation 1955

o
Two major left-wing parties merged to form Japan Socialist Party
Supporting and directing private companies, encouraging

competition and innovation

o
Liberal and democratic parties merge to form the Liberal Democratic
Party
o
LDP was the governing party from 1955 to 2009 except for one year
o
Many factions
LDP is a bunch of small parties coming together

Average lifetime of prime ministers 2.5 years

Factional infighting
Compromise between two factions
o
Brings in aot of different interests
o
Backroom political struggles within the party
Pillars of LDP support
o
Assures it of great duration of rule
Professional, business and bureaucratic elites

Close collaboration between business and government

Economic planning
Led to close coordination between government and business

o
Farmers
Pillars of occupation was land reform

Redistributing the land that had fallen during Meiji and Taisho

era
Land tax, peasants lose land and become tenants again

Japanese are very protective of agricultural products

Deal with farmers and LDP

Government supports small scale family farming, protect from

foreigners investing and taking over farms

A lot of infrastructure programs being put in rural areas

Infrastructure spending

o
A lot of corruption
o
Policies being designed to protect Japanese agriculture and direct aid
to the countryside
o
If all parties have the same sweet deals with companies, leads to
corruption
Fragmented opposition
o
Division between JSP and new moderated Democratic Socialist Party in
1959
Very strong ideological struggles going on

Didnt want U.S military alliance

Greater nationalisation of the economy

Right wing of Social Party broke off as Democratic Socialist Party

o
Japan Communist Party
Oldest political party in Japan

Still a presence in Japan

Last elections, JCP got about 12% of the vote

Not hardlined communists anymore

Would get 8-10 percent of vote in height of cold war

More than just a party, a culture

Own newspaper, strong base among Burakumin

Lovable communist party

Close relations with PRC

o
Komeito (Clean Government party)

Buddhist political party connected to Sokka Gakkai Buddhist

movement formed in 1964
Declared illegal in 1930's

Nichiren Buddhism

Social cohesion, social compromise

o
Lack of resources and coordination ineffective in defeating he LDP
Division allows LDP to remain ongoing force

Political competition happened more inside of the LDP

Grassroots opposition
o
Labour
More effective opposition

Closely linked to Japan Socialist Party, Democratic Social Party

etc.
One of the things Japan did do was pressure to Japanese

companies to close down coal mines and invest in cheaper and

cleaner fuel
Coal miners' strikes in late 1950's a failure

Leads to a moderation in labour demands

Best way unions could do was insert themselves in

economic planning process
o
Student activism
Closely connected to Japan communist party

Ongoing presence of Americans

o
Protest against US-Japan Security treaty and Vietnam war
o
Loud, but little actual effect on policy
Foreign relations
o
US relations most important
Close and uneasy relationship at the same time

Japan is more successful economically because it doesnt

maintain an army
Japan acts as their aircraft carrier in Asia

Provides staging for projection of American power

o
Renewal of US-Japan security Treaty in 1960 leads to mass upheaval
o
American bases on Japan often cause social tensions
o
Tokyo Olympics - 1964
First Olympics

Provided Japan an opportunity to present to the world a new and

rebuilt Japan
Returned to the world stage

Successful Olympics

Japan extends relations with other countries in East and Southeast Asia
during the 1960's
Japan had troubled relationships with neighbours because of war
War reparations in exchange for opening markets

South Korea, Thailand, Indonesia,

Re-establish economic prosperity
"Dont talk about what happened during war, money to shut
them up
Around bases there are more rapes, murders, drugs
Low crime society
o Compensation agreements with former occupied nations
o Japanese foreign investment in Asia acquires high importance
Economic Development in the 1960's
o
Follows general trend of economic reconstruction started during
Yoshida years
o
Bretton Woods System - pegged against US dollar
Yen was devalued

On Purpose

o
LDP political program emphasized economic growth through
government, business and labour cooperation
The Japan Advantage
o
Experienced management
o
Allied with United States, access to growing markets of the capitalist
world
o
First Asian country to industrialize
Experienced industrial business elite

o
Very educated country, abundance of young, skilled and educated
labour force
Under occupation ,educational reforms made this much more

available
o
Common national project for national reconstruction and economic
growth
o
Led to greater tendency for compromise and collaboration between
different socio-economic actors
International and Domestic Balance
o
Exports made up about 10% of GNP in the 1960's
o
Japan known as a major trading national, but less reliant n foreign
trade than other nations
o
Most increase in production absorbed domestically
Japanese consumer has greater disposable income

Spending more

Corporate Organization
o
Keiretsu
Looser

Organized around 6 major banks (Mitsui, Mitsubishi, Sumitomo,

Fuji, Daiichi and Sanwa)

Face of economic crisis in 1990's most of these banks

have merged
Heirs of zaibatsu but different now

Japanese on average save 40% of their income

No holding company, more diversity in shareholders, and more diffuse

organization
o
Sogo shosha - inernational trading companies
Principle functions middlemen for large and middle sized

companies
New companies
o
Descendants of old zaibatsu slow to enter new industries
Stuck to old industries, construction, mining banking

A little more hesitant about going into new ventures

o
Toyota and Honda: automobiles
o
Matsushita, Sony, Sanyo, Sharp: consumer electronics
Home appliances

New companies

Panasonic
o
Komatsu: construction and farming equipment
o
Innovative
o
Strong investment in technology and research and development
Making electronics cheaper and more accessible

Miniaturizing technology

Government coordination
o
Role of government is very important as a guide and facilitator
State capitalism

Not same as China today

o
Agrilcutural policies helped smooth economic transition and increase
consumer demand
o
Ministry of Finance
o
MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry)
o
Gyosei shido (ministry directives)
o
Japanese government controls technology transfers and foreign
exchange
o
Policies focussed on large companies to increase efficiency
o
Government help tends to go to larger enterprises
Savings
o
Depression and war had instilled a strong savings mentality
o
Invested in post office and banks accounts
o
Post office accounts provide capital for public infrastructure projects
o
Helps keep taxes low
o
Bank accounts provide capital for private sector lending
o
Loans important for leveraging Japanese companies
Economic deals
o
Labour peace that is obtained through business-labour compromise
Greater and fairer distribution of salaries

Greater economic equality

o
Relatively narrow range of salaries
o
Ecouragement of lifetime employment
o
Regular salary increases
o
Leads to fairly equal wealth distribution
o

Consequences
o
Average of 10% economic growth during the 1960s
Similar to China happening now

o
Shift back from countryside to Urban areas
People evacuated because of bombings

o
Leads to growth in construction, higher property prices and beginnings
of urban sprawl
Huge urban complexes Tokyo and Osaka

o
Industrial growth focused in Tokyo and Osaka areas
Nagoya is important as well

o
Some companies prefer investing in smaller cities to save on labour
and production costs
Impact on the Family
o
Growing trends towards nuclear families
Labour and businesses working together has huge social impact

Mom and dad and kids

Traditional Japanese family structure was extended family, had

old people living with kids

More population, more difficult, grandma and grandpa stay in

countryside
o
Phenomenon of the sarariiman (office salaried worker)
Oil that lubricated Japanese corporations

Did a lot for company, spend long hours working and long hours

after having business drinks

o
Unmarried women increasingly entering the labour force
Once you get married very strong pressure to stay home and run

household
Women run domestic sphere and household finances

90 percent of men hand over their paycheques to their

wives to handle
o
Education increasingly key
Upward social mobility and success

o
Phenomenon of kyoiku mama (education mama)
Most brutal beast, dont cross a kyoiku mama

Tremendous psychological pressure on kids to study

Consumerism
o
Increasing salaries lead to increase consumption
60s and 70s growing concern for obtaining great treasures of the

home

3 imperial regalia of domestic consumption

Refrigerators, washing machines and vacuum cleaners

Labour saving devices, important for woman

Followed up by stereos, television, cars and air conditioners