Embracing Defeat: Japan in the Wake of World War II

Arising in the Meiji Restoration period, militarism was a key part of Japan’s imperial ideology from the 1920s until the end of the Second World War. Militarist ideology was rooted in patriotism, honor, and the belief that the military was the backbone of the nation. Militarism permeated all aspects of Japan’s society. The author describes the Imperial Rescript of Education which the school children repeated every day: “Should any emergency arise, offer yourselves courageously to the State” (33).

However, militarism also had practical reasons. First, Japan underwent a series of economic problems, particularly during the Great Depression. Second, Japan experienced a surge in population growth. Being an island country, it required an increase in importing food. However, its exportation was hampered by tariffs. As a result, Japan resorted to wars of expansion and conquest to stabilize its economy. The government presented this expansion as one that would bring an era of peace and abundance. Japan’s right-wing or nationalist organizations also believed in territorial expansion, particularly in light of the economic pressures of the time. In this sense, militarism was a corollary of expansionism.

Japan annexed Korea in 1910 and, by 1931, invaded Manchuria following the Mukden Incident—when the Chinese soldiers were accused of trying to bomb a train.