Socialist thought in Imperial Japan

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This article examines Socialist thought in Imperial Japan. Japan from 1901 (Meiji period) had contact with socialist thought. In that year Western Christian missionaries raised issues of impoverished and dispossessed peoples, in relation with unjust government policy. Later, some Japanese socialist thinkers developed their own ideas and formed a first socialist party. There had already existed some home-grown proto-socialist popular movements for the protection of the interests of the lower classes.

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[edit] Stages of socialist thought

There were the following stages:

The core of Japanese political thinking did adapt socialist ideas: of the center (Christian, democratic and some Western populism); of the left (more in accord with Soviet Russian and Chinese communist doctrines); and of the right (far right, right-wing and radical nationalist thinking, along with some European fascist Italian or German Nazi ideas). The adaptation was to a long-existing Japanese tradition of political thought.

In time three branches appeared, with two opposed: left socialism with a national Japanese communist line, along with Soviet element; right socialism, developed as in right-wing nationalism, Japanese state socialism and the most radical Japanese military thinking of Militarism-Socialism during the Shōwa period. The third socialist line was the Centrist Socialism, which maintain the democratic and populist line of previous basic socialism mentioned and formed some movements and parties.

[edit] Homegrown proto-socialist ideas and the arrival of Western socialism

One possible local precedent for socialist ideas was the Minken popular rights movement from 1873. This movement worked for low status people, and fought against unjust political actions of central government.

Western socialism was introduced by socialist and Christian missionaries, and had some attraction for young Japanese idealists with social consciousness. In 1901 leaders made great efforts to constitute a Socialist party, based on universal fraternity, class abolition, just distribution of wealth, and some public service nationalization. The execution of some dozen socialist-anarchists, including Kotoku Shusui, was a severe blow against this movement. It went practically underground for a decade. Another political ancestor of the Japanese socialists, Katayama Sen (1859-1933), left Japan for Europe. He became a Communist, and lived out his life in the USSR.

[edit] Centrist socialism, populism and democracy

The first precedents of local Japanese socialism and development of center socialism with populism and democracy stay in the thinking works of Professor Minobe Tatsu Kichi (1873-1948) and Yoshino Sakuzō (1878-1933) of Tokyo University. Theirs analyzed the previous question of take in count of popular opinion in central government decisions, front at rigid state conceptions surround at Emperor. Tatsu Kichi exposed your idea of Emperor how "State Organ", more why "Same State", such idea permit one legal and political new point of seeing how consequence why himself debt responsible of well manage of state things. For part of Yoshino Kazuko, one christian and democratic believer, continuing the previous work for justified the representative government between "Imperial system". Without petitioned over Populat sovereign, himself developed the socialist theory of "Minponshugi" (Government to people) in opposition at another theorical analysis of "Minshushugi" (government for people or authentic democracy).

Himself, in line of your ideas, in 1918 organized the "Reimeikai" party, a strange mix of Christian socialism, Confucian public moral, and syndicalism. These movement attracted many students and work leaders in the first times, for more later this party extinguished in 1920. These democratic and moderated socialist line are followed by Inukai and Hamagushi, later both assassinated. The "Rice revolts" occurred in the same year and one new awake of Japanese socialist works, for some thinkers and syndicalists leaders.

During Meiji times some followers organized the "Meirokusha" democratic Think tank group, founded in 1873 by Mori Arinori. Other figures of this thinking moderate group are Fukuzawa Yukuchi (Keio University's founder), Kato Hiroyuki (Tokyo University president), Nishimura Shigeki (Imperial Preceptor), Nishi Amane (Tokyo Normal College president) and Nakamura Masanao (Tokyo Feminine Normal College's founder). This group developed some ideas which are organized in the "Bunmei-Kaika" (Civilization & Illustration) Moderated Doctrine. Fukuzawa Yukuchi composed the books "Seiyo-djo" (Western world conditions), "Gakumom no Susume (Study Exhortation) and "Bunmeiron no gairyaku" (Civilization trazes), to expose these democratic doctrines along some center socialism. Nakamura Masanao, when returning from voyage of the United States, founded the "Doshinsha" School in 1875 as a college for inculcating Christian and democratic ideas in Japan.

In 1921 occurred some effort for raising the socialist party movement, for part of survivors of the first socialist leaders before World War I, along student and syndicalist groups. These groups unified their political actions in the "Socialists Alliance" movement but were prosecuted by the official establishment. Still this socialist continuing in your efforts in political actions, were Suzuki Bunji (1885-1946) organized the "Nippon Rodo Sodomei" (Japanese Work Federation). Upon seeing this, the Industrialist founded a counter-organization called Armony Society (Kyochokai). Another action area of center socialist and populist stay in foundation of Rodo Nominto (peasant and work party), with some Marxist orientation, in 1926, Shakai Minshuto (Social democratic Party), Musan Taishuto (Proletaire Mass party), all socialists followers at last organized in 1932 when founded the Shakai Taishuto (Socialist mass party). These party in 1935 elections gained more 660,000 votes and took 18 seats, of 466 in parliament.

[edit] Socialism and Japanese communist thought

In 1920, these moderate and populist socialist movements were infiltrated by leftists, followers of the Komintern, in order to expand Communism in the Far East.

Japanese communist party members met Russian and Chinese advisers in Shanghai. They had some differences from the Western European Communist way. Organized for some more active chiefs, poses minority intellectual support and frequent clandestine work, never had real great mass support. This radical movement was confronted by the official establishment and police authorities since its inception.

Japanese left ideals proposed the radical abolition of the Imperial system and "Kokutai" (Traditional Japanese government form) and demonized the oligarchy, industrialists and capitalists. In first times obtain some adherents for exploit the political corruption, and liberty scarcity in common peoples. But its extreme proposals of rupture with old traditional values reduced them to a subversive minority.

The Japanese Communist Party was founded in 1922, for leaders how Tokuda Kyuichi, Osugi Sakae and Arahata Kanson, but was poorly organized. These movement are destroyed by Police authorities when if discovered some papers and documents of the party in hands of Sano Manabu, professor in Waseda University, and the Tokyo earthquake giving occasion to arrest at another suspicious of these movement.

In 1926, are founded one new political structure, why adopted some lines of previous intend, reiterally the abolition of Imperial system and Diet, redistribution of wealth and favorable policy with Soviet Russia. During 1926-1928, following orders of Soviet Japanese Presidium, some base members of party infiltrated in syndicates and giving samples of great activities in university environments. The establishment action joining police authorities are in organization of "Peace preservation department" (police anti-subversive section) for prosecuted at these movement, in massive detentions during 1928-1929, which virtually extinguished the party. In 1931-1932 the public process against 400 communist arrests provoked the massive renounced of much adepts, less some fanatical followers and your principal leaders in the country if sense of Nationalist exaltation with successes obtained for Japanese Army troops in the Manchuria success. In these situation some intellectuals continuing the left and communist labour reading some left-Marxist and Soviet lite rature in private, the open tendency to left "dangerous thought" arriving temporary to finish, awaiting more times in future.

[edit] Socialism and right-wing nationalism

This socialist line had precedents in certain "nationalist" thinkers during the Shogunate period. Theirs without proposed, having development some Socialist ideas along certain proto-nationalist ideas based in proper local culture, at the same time derived from ancient Yamato Empire period.

The socialism and nationalism stay intimate leagued too with ancient political ideas of ancestral Military Clans of Chosu, Satsuma and central clan of Yamato, more near at Industrialists, nobility and imperial family, last group at same time poses next with ancestral lineage of Amaterasu Omikami Goddess and your mythical son Jinmu, along ancient Shinto thinkers and theologians, since Yamato Empire times.

At the same time as the Minken movements, there arose precursor groups of later nationalist right-wing groups with populist ideals. The Aikokusha (Patriotic Society) founded by Itagaki Taisuke in 1875 was based on ideas taken from previous Minken movements. It used public opinion and the press to pressured central government on the side of the common people.

Since the Meiji period, these political followers of mentioned socialist line, receiving some apports of European (more specifically German) ideas such as Social Darwinism, Marxism in right line, or German state socialism based on Bismarck's ideas. These followers stay ubiqued in first place in official establishment of central government how Imperial House affairs and Imperial Army, between others. Precisely if yours, the propose of used German thinking in core of basic fundamentals of Meiji constitution of 1889.

Theirs defend the "Kokutai" (national political constitution) doctrine, and the superiority of national values and your protection (in similar form of Shogunate nationalists thinking ancestors), and added the idea of utility of Western technical knowledge but modified in Japanese manner. These defenders sustain the importance of promoted the national believing and local culture in national education system for growing the national consciousness.

In the most advanced stage of socialist thinking stay distacated Kita Ikki, the top defender of these ideas, along some others ideologists. Himself are founder of Amur society, and right thinker, composed the "Nihon kaizo hohan taiko" (General Plan for national reorganization of Japan), book were exposes your ideas. At same times surging some extreme right-wing and movements in Japan following the same or similar policy lines.

In the armed forces there too were some thinkers who defended in radical form this line such as Hashimoto Kingoro or Ishikawa Kanichi, instructed by Shumei Okawa, another right-wing thinker. These socialist followers advocated the defending of nationalist ideas, equalizing of conditions to common people, redistribution of wealth, and the installing of a Radical right dictatorship with the respective powerful leader, along with a right-wing party for manage the state affairs. But these thinkers where divided the Navy, who wondered who these charismatic leader existed to represent: the Emperor, or the Army who desired to take military and political power in one military dictatorship in European fascist style, following ancient political traditions of the Satsuma and Chosu Clans.

Inside of the political atmosphere, raising some thinkers, in dictated line by Kita Ikki, how Sadao Araki, the founder of Kodoha (imperial way) right-wing party, Hachiro Arita, the brainchild of "Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere" conquest doctrine or Naoki Hoshino, the tracer of ideologist lines for the foundation of Manchukuo Empire. Other important thinkers and political leaders in time under these doctrines stay Fumio Goto, Yoriyasu Arima, Fusanosuke Kuhara, Fumimaro Konoye,Yosuke Matsuoka and the most important military leader and politician Hideki Tojo. The final development of such ideas if result of Japanese State Socialism political theory and the Japanese military radical right-wing Militarism-Socialism ideology.

Other leaders worked the State-Religion relation in defense of national values are Heisuke Yanagawa, Kuniaki Koiso, Chikao Fujisawa and Kiichiro Hiranuma. Other thinkers if preoccupied for areas such as education, eugenics, philosophy and ethics among others.

The government system in times are one development ancient Clan system administration, conformed by three groups: Gumbatsu, Zaibatsu and Mombatsu in one collective organization of "[[Concesus or Defensive State]]", werein which all efforts of the nation supported collective objectives, by guidance from national myths, history and dogmas, obtaining a "national consensus" in objectives of the nation.

With these bases, the local right socialism during your Axis Power alliance participation receiving some political and ideological apports of European fascism theories, and transformed in so-called Japanese fascism for development finally in Showa Nationalism during the Pacific War period.

[edit] See also

[edit] Further reading

  • CRUMP, John D. (1983): The Origins of Socialist Thought in Japan. Palgrave Macmillan, London, UK. ISBN 0-312-58872-0
  • WAKABAYASHI, Bob T. (1998): Modern Japanese Thought. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. ISBN 0-521-58810-3
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