The Concept Of Nationalism In Japan

Nationalism in Japan
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Nationalism in Japan
Introduction
Japanese nationalism has been of critical essence in influencing the country’s ties and interactions with other sovereign economies. Key historical events such as World War I and World War II played a significant role in dictating the current state of nationalism in this economy. For instance, Gries, Steiger, and Wang (2016) reveal that during World War I, Japan made the choice of distancing its operations from the proceedings of the battle and made the decision of undertaking the agenda of foreseeing the expansion of its economy. According to Hagström and Gustafsson (2015), Japan undertook active operations in its trading activities that strengthened its position in other Asian economies such as China and the Pacific. Wiegand and Choi (2017) explain that the issues of nationalism in Japan greatly revolved around the aspects of religiosity and cultism as revealed by the sprout and strengthening of spiritual sects and ideologies such as “Shinto” in the pre-1930 period. According to Nagy (2014), Shinto was a cult that dominated Japan before and after World War II that adored the emperor and accorded him the position of a divine being. However, the post-1930 period saw massive shifts in the issue of Japanese nationalism, particularly after the assassination of Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi. A critical analysis of the Japanese nationalism from a historical perspective reveals that its aims were twofold: fostering the construction of assertive national identity on a global scale and therefore linked to the economy’s foreign policy. Moreover, fostering the proper management of modernity through social, economic and political developments that are required to propel the country towards adapting to the prevailing international contexts. The current study seeks to undertake a critical analysis of the concept of nationalism by reviewing how the issue has undergone evolutions in the Japanese context in the periods between 1912 to 1945 and 1949 to 2018.
Nationalism: A Definition
Hagström and Gustafsson (2015) describe nationalism as one of the most sophisticated ideologies whose existence is stirred by the historical as well as the extraordinary social dimensions of a given economy. Multiple points of view concerning the issue of nationalism exist. For instance, Gries, Steiger and Wang (2016) reveal that proper definition of nationalism must involve one’s ability to be identified with a distinct “we group” to which he/ she accords supreme loyalty by embracing a state of consciousness. On the other hand, Wiegand and Choi (2017) explain that nationalism is a combination of the issues of utmost awareness of one’s nationality and patriotism. Therefore, nationalism can be analytically considered as a product of the common language and historical traditions that are shared by members of a given community.
The definition of nationalism tends to vary with variations in the economic, social and political contexts of a given society or country. Putting into consideration the societal and historical perspectives of Japan, the ideology of nationalism can be described as the state of mind shared by a group of persons residing in a certain well defined geographical area and boasting of their ability to possess a literature that expresses the aspirations of their country and are connected with common traditions and in some instances, a similar religion. According to Nagy (2014), several basic conditions must be looked at when giving a proper description of the uniqueness of the Japanese nationalism. For instance, the researchers reveal that Japan's early national awareness can be attributed to its inherent ability to depend on its separation from other sovereign states. According to Saaler (2015), the country’s founding fathers’ ability to initiate geographical isolation played a critical role in describing the state’s divine origin. On the other hand, Suzuki (2015) explains that the conviction held by the Japanese in the early 1900s on the issues of divine protection such as the kamikaze and Shinto played an influential role in portraying Japan as a country that is inviolable and sacred.
The existence of a common language that was effectively spoken in Japan played a great role in fostering the spread and communication of the ideologies of nationalism. According to Suzuki (2015), the multiple languages spoken in Japan did not present significant hindrances to effective spread of nationalism. Further, Nagy (2014) demystifies that the fact that Japanese was not spoken in any other part of the world acted as a great contributor to their inherent feeling of exceptionality, a phenomenon that is highly indistinguishable from the Japanese nationalism.
Nationalism in Japan from 1912 to 1945
Gries, Steiger, and Wang (2016) explain that the rise of Japanese nationalism is owed to the enduring political, religious and economic efforts of the country’s founding fathers. The Meiji Reform that led to the inception of the Meiji Constitution in 1889 played a crucial role in shaping Japanese nationalism in the post 1912 era. For instance, Fukoku kyonei was adopted ax a motto that was aimed at instilling a nationalist policy to strengthen the operating philosophies of the Meiji administration. On the other hand, the Edo era (period between1600 and 1869) saw the emergence of a wing of political leaders that were emphatic on the issues of elitist patriotism who called attention to the importance of strengthening the aspects of national welfare over the interests of individual politicians when defending their government from foreign entities. An increase in the levels of societal integration in Japan presented the populace with two basic forms of nationalism. Wi...