Although the emperor-ideology prevailed in Japan during World War II, its genesis can be traced to the Meiji Restoration whereby leaders felt that the Asian nation should unite in the same way as the West. Before the Meiji coming to power, the emperor was mostly a ceremonial figure, who had divine connotations. However, the leaders wanted Japan to have its place in the world and this is how the emperor gained prominence.
Consequently, the emperor became the symbol of Japan’s authority and Shinto was made into a national religion thereby replacing Buddhism. One of the reasons why Buddhism was relegated to the second place was because the leaders of the day felt that it was a ‘foreign’ religion.
All these efforts towards the greatness of Japan were part of Meiji’s plans to modernize the country and possibly beat the Westerners in their own game. Consequently, the leaders of the time were mainly concerned with “the desire for wealth, power, and prestige as a way of redressing the imposition of unequal treaties that had been placed upon Japan by western powers in the past” (Beasley 67). The initial victories in regards to the modernization era of 1868 made it possible for Japan’s leaders to become bold in their assertions of Japan’s position in the world.
A sense of manifest destiny did not begin to spread in Japan until the country emerged victorious in the Sino-Japanese War in 1894. This victory gave Japan a sense of superiority within Asia. Also, subconsciously Japan began to seek its place in the world. This attitude was apparent to Germany, France, and Russia when the three powerhouses forced Japan to cease its hard-won territory in the peninsula. The United States was not left behind in its efforts to keep Japan down when it instituted the Open Door Policy of China in 1899. Nevertheless, Japan did not feel destined to lord over Asia until the country’s victory in the Russo-Japanese War in 1904.
This victory made the West stop and pay attention to the emerging Asian powerhouse. On the other hand, some countries in Asia began to consider Japan as the obvious powerhouse of the region. Thereafter, Japan was at liberty to exert its influence on both China and Korea.
The motivated Japanese expansion was the main reason why the region entered into conflict with Western countries. First, Japan conflicted with the United States’ Open Door Policy in China. However, there was a reprieve when Japan found its footing by joining the Allies in World War I. After the war, Japan enjoyed the spoils in the form of new territories and the country also enjoyed the feeling of belonging to the ‘big-boys’ club. This success led to obvious problems because the country was forced to defend its place in the world thereby bringing Japan into conflict with countries that had immense military power.
Works Cited
Beasley, William. The Rise of Modern Japan: Political, Economic, and Social Change since 1850. New York: Macmillan, 2000. Print.