Pan-Asianism played a crucial role in Japanese imperialism is the late 19th century and the early 20th century. It was through the Asian uniting ideology of pan-Asianism that the Japanese were able to justify their imperialistic actions. Pan Asianism in Japan is traced back to the 1850s when Japan was opened up to foreign influence. (Mulder, 2012) However the term pan-Asianism was not used before the 1890s and appears only occasionally prior to the 1910s. (Saaler & Szpilman, 2011) A few decades later the spiritual concepts of pan- Asianism were “distorted by Japanese militarist government into a brutal ideology of imperialism that seemed fixed on conquering, rather than liberating, Asia.” (Hotta, 2007, p. ix). This meant that it went from an ideal originally associated with Asian independence to a way to justify aggressive imperialism against fellow Asian countries.
In the 19th century Japan became a modern imperial nation as they welcomed modernisation which proved that they were as civilised as Western powers. The Japanese began to adopt modern communications infrastructure and developed bases for modern industry. Some Japanese began to adopt Western customs such as dress; education was made compulsory and universal conscription was introduced. Pan-Asianism did not reject modernity as a means of recovering Asia’s greatness. (Hotta, 2007) Pan Asianism was also very important in the framework of intellectual debate and policy formulation in Japan. Pan-Asianism provided “continuity in Japans otherwise fragmented policymaking body, and moreover enabled the comprehensive mobilization of its population.” (Hotta, 2007, p. 14) There became a new balance of power in East Asia favouring Japan.
Pan Asianism became more popular in Japan...
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...ial family. During this period of military rule Japan went from being a protectorate to a formal colony.
Prior to and during World War II the Japanese used propaganda to justify their imperialistic actions. An example of this propaganda is the Greater East Asia Prosperity Sphere which was an imperial concept created for occupied Asian populations by the government and military of the Empire of Japan. The Greater East Asia Conference was held in November 1943 and was intended by the Japanese to illustrate their commitments to the pan-Asianism ideal and to accentuate its role as the "liberator" of Asia from western colonialism. The themes of the conference were co-prosperity and co-existence as well as the elevation of Greater East Asian cultures as the joint goals of the Sphere. This specified the rescue mission of Asia as the very aim of Japan’s war. (Hotta, 2007)
The East Asians, mostly China and Japan, both were trying to become or stay a great power, and did it in different ways. Japan tried to isolate themselves by only allowing limited contact and no spreading of Christianity, as was talked about in document sixteen. China tried to keep up with them by using a strong legal system as was mentioned in document six, and government set up like the monarchs of Europe, in that the power is passed from father to son, as seen in document five. Japan, at first, let the newcomers in and learn about them, and let them learn a little from them. However, they didn't have very good experiences, like as portrayed in document twelve, the Japanese thought of the Europeans as arrogant and full of themselves, and the Europeans, like Will Adams in document fourteen, didn't like what the Japanese did, in holding them there when they wanted to leave, and the way they treated the women as completely there just to serve and help the men, as was mentioned in document eleven.
Japan led a ruthless assault in the Pacific for fifteen years. This small island was able to spread imperialism and terror to neighboring countries through means of force and brutality. Japan even attempted to combat and overcome European and Western countries such as Russia and the United States. Even with an extreme militaristic government, Japan was unable to achieve the glory it was promised and hoped for. The Pacific War analyzes Japan’s part in the war and what the country could have done to prevent such a tragedy.
In 1900 Britain was in many respects the world’s leading nation, enjoying a large share of world trade, a dominant position in the international money market, and possessing a far flung empire supported by the world’s most powerful navy. Japan was a complete contrast, sharing with Britain only the fact that it too was a nation of Islands lying off the shore of a major continent. Until the 1860s it had possessed a social and economic structure more akin to that of feudal, rather than twentieth century, Europe. By the 1990s, the positions were almost reversed. This paper sets out to examine the contrasting democratic political systems of the two nations and to explore the social and democratic consequences of the changes that have occurred.
Japan was a country of contradictions in the early 1900's. Her growth in industry was a major factor for influencing her growth of power; whilst at the same time their structure was a very traditional political one. The Japanese Emperor Hirohito was right in the centre of the Japanese government. The emperor made Japan very militaristic and the military had a very strong influence in Japan. Japan's growth in industry had risen greatly since in the preceding 50 years and still it continued to grow.
To fortify their nations, Japan and the Ottoman Empire underwent modernization and reformations between 1850 and 1914. At the start of the reforms both regions efforts at modernization were defensive, and both regions adopted Western elements into their society. Nonetheless, Japan worked to become a more industrialized nation, dissimilar to the Ottoman Empire, which was unable to create an industrial economy or strong state. Differences are also apparent during this modernization where women in the Ottoman Empire experienced greater opportunities than women in Japan who were suppressed in both public and political life. The efforts made in modernizing and creating reforms during the nineteenth century were defensive in both regions.
In the middle of the 19th century, despite a few similarities between the initial responses of China and Japan to the West, they later diverged; which ultimately affected and influenced the modernizing development of both countries. At first, both of the Asian nations rejected the ideas which the West had brought upon them, and therefore went through a time period of self-imposed isolation. However, the demands that were soon set by Western imperialism forced them, though in different ways, to reconsider. And, by the end of the 19th century both China and Japan had introduced ‘westernizing’ reforms. China’s aim was to use modern means to retain and preserve their traditional Confucian culture. Whereas Japan, on the other hand, began to successfully mimic Western technology as it pursued modernization, and thus underwent an astounding social upheaval. Hence, by the year 1920, Japan was recognized as one of the world’s superpowers, whereas China was on the edge of anarchy.
Japanese immigration created the same apprehension and intolerance in the mind of the Americans as was in the case of Chinese migration to the U.S at the turn of the 19th century. They developed a fear of being overwhelmed by a people having distinct ethnicity, skin color and language that made them “inassimilable.” Hence they wanted the government to restrict Asian migration. Japan’s military victories over Russia and China reinforced this feeling that the Western world was facing what came to be known as “yellow peril”. This was reflected in the media, movies and in literature and journalism.4 Anti-Oriental public opinion gave way to several declarations and laws to restrict Japanese prosperity on American land. Despite the prejudice and ineligibility to obtain citizenship the ...
The Asian American history is the history of the ethnic and racial groups in the United States who are of Asian descent. Spickard (2007) shows that the "'Asian American' was an idea created in the 1960s to bring together the Chinese, Japanese, and Filipino Americans for a strategic and political purposes.
If one strips the story to its generalities rather than specifics, it is easy to relate this to World War II through the attack on Pearl Harbor and subsequent actions. Japan had relatively recently entered onto the world stage and faced issues that plagued other youthful nations. Japan required expansion to feed its growing populace. The easies...
First, I will explain how the Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere is the underlying principle of both schools of thought. Second, I will use Ike’s translated records of the 1941 Japanese Imperial and Liaison Conferences to demonstrate that the decision-makers’ reference point—the Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere—was discussed in more of the Conferences than either the inevitability of war or China, from an empirical
The Japanese empire was an inspirational country to other Asians that spearheaded the fight against the European imperialism. After the Meiji restoration, emperors decided that the modernization of Japan was going to begin and in order for it to be a success, the government
Japan’s rise to a modern state is a unique example of how an Asian country has successfully transitioned from an Asian feudal system to a Western-type modern state flawlessly. When comparing Japan’s modernization with other Asian countries, such as China or Korea, it is impressive to see how an ancient feudal system that repelled all forms of foreign influence for centuries was able to transition into the global powerhouse that it is today, with little resistance. This paper will look at how Japan transitioned from a Feudal system to a modern nation state as well as how the Post-modern state is eroding aspects of the modern state thanks to globalization and outside forces. This paper will look at 1) Japan’s decentralized feudal system and the Tokugawa Shogunate, 2) The modernization of the state during the Meiji period and the evolution of the class system, and 3)
When the Sinocentric world system and Tokugawa Shogunate dynasty collapsed, it was instantly necessary for Japan to define itself. Therefore, the Meiji government had to choose between two approaches, one is modernization and military to survive under Western Imperialism, another is unifying with Asian countries against the threat of the West. While many intellectual associations advocated the idea of a unified Asia under Japan leadership, Meiji government was still afraid of augmenting Western fears of the "Yellow Peril". As a consequence, ideals about Asian unity or equality were neglected, at the same time, the idea that Japan had "the holy mission to liberate Asia" and soon, pan-Asian rhetoric was used to legitimize Japanese leadership and in the justification of Japanese aggression in East Asia during the World War
...high power status, Japan had to have a self-reliant industrial common ground and be able to move all human and material resources (S,195). Through the Shogun Revolution of 1868, the abolition of Feudalism in 1871, the activation of the national army in 1873, and the assembly of parliament in 1889, the political system of Japan became westernized (Q,3). Local Labor and commercial assistance from the United States and Europe allowed Japan’s industry to bloom into a developed, modern, industrial nation (Q,3). As a consequence production surplus, and food shortage followed (Q,3). Because of how much it relied on aid of western powers, Japan’s strategic position became especially weak. In an attempt to break off slightly from the aid of the west Japanese leaders believed that it would be essential for Japan to expand beyond its borders to obtain necessary raw materials.
Our preliminary class gave a brief, yet detailed outline of major events affecting the East Asian region. Within that class, prompted by our limited geographical knowledge of Asia, we were given a fundamental explanation of the geographical locations of the various events taking place in the region. In subsequent classes, we were introduced to the major wars, political shifts, and economic interests which shaped Japan, China and Korea to what they are today. We examined the paradigm of pre-modern Japanese governance, the Shogunate, and the trained warriors which defended lord and land, Samurai. In addition, we examined the socio-economic classes of Medieval Japan, which included the Samurai, peasants, craftsmen, and the merchants. We also examined pre-1945 Japan’s policies toward foreign entities, notably the Sakoku Policy, which sought to expunge all foreign presence and commerce in an effort to protect its borders and culture. 1945, however, saw ...