Shinmin no Michi
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The Shinmin no Michi (臣民の道 "The Path of Subjects"?) was the official "national moral handbook" edited by the Japanese government to encourage support of government doctrines during World War II. This text explained the political-military planning of the Japanese militarists to its own people so that they would better understand these same doctrines and also be able to put them into practice.
Advise:this article containing possibly offensive words, but if advised why if present only with historical pourposes, in accord with Japanese political point of seeing during 1941-pre-war/Pacific conflict periods
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[edit] Origins of Japanese national moral "Bible"
The Japanese did not possess any religious cannon similar to that of the Bible to explain religious, moral, social, or political themes: these topics were transmitted in both verbal and written form, but there was no generally agreed up fundamental religious text.
During the summer of 1941, in the period of Fumimaro Konoye's cabinet, the Tokyo government ordered the Minister of Education of Japan to compose a "Bible of the Japanese People", under the title of Shinmin no Michi (The Path of the Subjects), which was also sometimes called Hito-Do (Subject's Way), or Shinja-Do (The Path of the Follower).
This book, which was a Konoye's brainchild, was modeled on Hitler's Mein Kampf which aided Nazis in guiding the though and action of the German people. The first edition of 30,000 was distributed in all schools of nation where the need was felt to be most urgent. It was felt imperative to educate the next generation in the leading ideas of national official policies and culture.
The Shinmin no Michi offered the "real explanation" in three easy chapters which required only a few minutes of regular reading in order to discover the key of how subjects to the Emperor were to behave in life and death situations. This book also presented a brief overview of world history in the first third of the first chapter. It referred to ambitious Americans, British traitors and malicious Russians. In the end, the Japanese reader was understood to have received a short course on the perverted mentality of both Western democratic plutocracies and the dangerous Soviets.
Members of German community in Tokyo in those days acknowledgec certain similarities of the "Japanese Bible" with proper own Mein Kampf. The American journalist and reporter in Japan, Joseph Newman made reference to such a book in his reports about the political-militarist Japanese establishment to the "Herald Tribune" (from New York) and his own book "Goodbye Japan" (published in 1942) - he was one expert about Japanese realities in this period.
[edit] Duties of all Loyal Subjects
Reading the Shinmin no Michi was combined with preaching in which information was given on the how the first duty of subjects was to "keep and maintain the Imperial Throne, which joins Heaven and Earth". Persons "infested with the germ of Western skepticism", were advised "not to treat matters from the point of view of empty abstraction", but instead to adopt a "practical manner based on our history".
The Shinmin no Michi noted that "the entry of Western countries in all parts of whole world, includuing the Far East, has given them international domination, and also led them to believe that they themselves possess the right to commit injurious acts against others". The authors "accused the United States and Great Britain of impeding the establishment of a state of general peace between Japan and China"
A similar book, the Bible of Modern Samurai, published a few months before the Attack on Pearl Harbor, reminded all subjects that their lives only possess meaning when they are submitted to Tenno;" It insisted both that one's own life is only just and sincere when it is offered to the Emperor and State, and that such duties are united in service to the Emperor. The combination of, on the one hand, dutiful performance by the all of the Emperor's subjects with, on the other hand, voulntary service given to the State was the true way to honor venerable ancestors".
The Shinmin no Michi said that the "country was contaminated by perverted thinking and our sacred duty is to clean this and to return to the virtuous customs of our ancestors. It is by working with harmony and cooperation and making manifest our national dignity that the Heavenly Spirits of our Ancestors should be obeyed in a dutiful manner, which, by working in harmony with others, is for the greater glory of the Throne".
The others sections refer to correct social and moral customs, some racial and eugenic ideas, theology and religion, martial doctrines and other aspects of local customs to show why the nation's duty must strictly follow the letter of the law.
[edit] Needed of national moral bible
Nationalists thinkers also believing needed the book, debt at "virtous ancient costumes leged by ancestors" was contaminated for individualism,Liberalism,Utilitarism and Materialism provided from West After the Mukden Incident and China Incident,was cominzed to raising the real national Japanese spirit, accept the bible, but advised why lamentably bad ideas was arrived amongst Machinery and Prime Materia provided from United States,and infected the Japanese common thinking.
In consequence was consider one "debt" the publication of "national moral bible" for why "without response such situation, was difficult eliminated the bad of European and American thinking why stayed penetrated in depth in diverse levels of Japanese national live".
[edit] Precedents of Japanese conquest doctrines
American writer Joseph Newman related why the Emperor Jimmu Ancient Proclaim, the speeches of Count Okuma in 1905 and "Tanaka Memorial"was created some bases for surging the "Hakko Ichiu" Doctrine and conquest ideals present in "Japanese moral bible".
He seeing more similarities with Jimmu Proclaim:"In consequence, ours extended the Capital until why embraced the six cardinal points and covered the eighth squares of the world of mode to conformed one sole roof, are not was well this?",the another precedent was the Spiritual and Racial Imperialism proclaim by Count Okuma in 1905 were sayed "Japan was to convert in spirit regent of Asia".for assumed such position was needed why :
- Japan cominzed to integrated at China why debt to "iluminated and civilized".
- Reduced at impotence at western nation why any other stayed dispose to disputed such lands.
Other suppose precedent if work attributed at General Tanaka, the "Tanaka Memorial",present at Emperod in 1927;were traced the conquest program for Manchuria and China.
Such last document revealed one depht understand of Japanese geopolitical motifs and exposed the future conquest strategies and plannings in Asian mainland in more concrete form.
[edit] East Asian New Order and Hakko Ichiu Doctrine
Mentioned text leaving all loyal subject to first chapter why explain the nature of "New Order" in the World projected by Militarists partidaires and provided one easy way in World history knowledge in Japanese point of seeing.
After comment about terrible "atrocities" of European countries at constructed Richests Empires for media of conquest colonies,some of theirs more near at Japanese Empire,the bible arriving rapidly at "WW I" times why sayed reinforzed "the western monopolist control of Great Britain,France and United States".continuing mentioned;"the countries why gained the First World War,consider reasonable why victorious making prey of defeated, provocated epicureous desires, finding developed one material live and secured your own commerce, leaving to rest of world at real hell of fight and blood hemorrhage, by causes and complicated effects, between Asian brothers"
Front at this in accord of writers "Japan was cominzed one movement for constructed one New Order in the world based in real moral principles" for example "such process originated from manchurian incident, why if explain how violent eruption of Japanese national live, restrained during much time".in same section referring to the "Hakko Ichiu" doctrine;was the "essence" of all bible.
In these chapter if mentioned the next cities and country names:HongKong,Vladivostok,Batavia,Manila,Bangkok,Melbourne,Honolulu,Nome,Seattle,India,Turkey,Arabia,Thailand,Annam,China and others regions in Africa,Western Hemisphere or inclusive East Europe.
[edit] Japan and your debt in East Asia Liberation
The bible only reinforced the idea of "such countries and territoires was awaiting to liberated from heavy chains of Europe and America" continuined explaining why "after the victory of Japan over Russia,was surging the liberation hopes in countries previously mentioned and fomented one "New Racial Movement" between Chinese along the surging in middle of agitated environment of political reborn in Asia,the Japan acquired one depth consciousness of the East Asian stability if your "Mission" and theindependence of East Asian future nations, only relief in your own efforts".
"The Path of Subjects" if running to explain why the Japanese aspirations of liberation not only limited to mentioned zones "the higth ideals of Japan was are putting in manifests front all the spirit why founded at Empire represent by extension of capital to until the six cardinal points and eighth world squares under one roof".
for support same this the bible cited partially the Imperial Edict ordered by Hirohito with motif of sign the Tripartite Treaty between Japan,Germany and Italy in September 1940: "The Great learn why leged our Imperial Founder The Sun goddess and other Imperial Ancestors, consist in why own greatests moral debt are extend in all directions and the world was unified under one roof.this if a point why ours stayed treated to obeyed all days".same edict finalizing with why "Ours believing why leave all nations finding our adequate place and why thousands of persons enjoyed of one peace age have empress of without example magnitude".
The Japanese Foreign Affairs Ministry last message envoyed to American secretary Cordell Hull was poses the similar ideals in your last part: "If the Inmutably policy of Japanese government secured the stability in East Asia and promoted the world peace, permit with this at all nations encounter your adequate place in the world."
The bible continuing your explain "the Chinese affair was one "step" in way to making one "world of moral ideals".the organization of one new order for reafirm one durable peace in the world, if obtained utilized the Chinese affair how one echelon.
At respect, the Chinese affair can t or debt to finalizing with falling of Chiang Kai Sheks Regime.until was totally eliminated the European and American perverted influences in the East Asia,why leaving at China by bad ways, until why cooperation of Japan with New China how other piece in chain of "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere" obtain satisfactory results and why the East Asia and rest of Whole World stayed unified over the base of moral principles, was needed with urgent the indefatigable efforts of Japan."
[edit] The Importance of The Path of Subjects
The "The Path of Subjects" was an obligated possession for all loyal subdjects in their homes and for all scholars; this along eith the "Kokutai no Hongi" the standard scholarly text published for the Minister of Education and "Imperial Rescript on Education" These books were the first and basic source of any moral and civic debts for all citizens of Japanese empire during Wartime.
[edit] See also
- Imperial Rescript on Education
- Kokutai no Hongi
- Shotouka-Chiri
- Japanese education system (Meiji Period to 1941)
[edit] References
- Newman Joseph,"Goodbye Japan" ,First Ed. published in New York, March 1942, (in English)
- "Adios Al Japon", Copyright by "Editorial Poseidon S.A.", Buenos Aires, Argentina, 1943 (In Spanish).
- Quoted in Kurihara Research Office, Fukushima University (in Japanese)
