Propaganda Film Essay

The Japanese empire was in great power by this time period, and they thought themselves as the king of the East Asian race. Japan, the “old order”, also believed that some day Europe and America would take over their power and become the “new orders”(Doc A). Japan was one

The Americans prior to World War II had always seen the Japanese as an inferior race dating back even further than the time of Commodore Matthew Perry in the mid 19th century. The US government saw the country of Japan as childish and immature. After the War The United States wanted to fix Japan, make it an ally by changing the country into a more western mature nation. The USA wanted to create a democratic economic powerhouse in its own image. The reformation of Japan after the war was simply an imposing of western ideas and values, not unlike the Meiji period that happened almost a century prior. The article shows that the United States needed the help the Japanese because they believed that the Japanese could not help themselves. The article also show a contrast to this with the treatment of the Chinese by the Japanese during the second Sino-Japanese war, who saw them as inferiors. Japan saw themselves as liberators from barbarism as much as the Americans. The article stops itself from being an essay on the shortcomings of the US, but also of Japan; it succeeds in giving discredit where discredit is due, for a more balanced look at both of the

Consistent with Japanese propaganda the nationalist leaders held belief that Japan was “the leader, protector and light of Asia”. However, this perception of liberation from colonial rule was a façade as the civilians of occupied nations experienced harsher treatment under the Japanese than they did under the colonial authorities.

Where the cherry blossoms bloom in the new spring, the rancid but familiar smells of fish permeate the nearby market, and people bustle across streets throughout the city, Japan is not only a unique and fascinating nation, but it also contains one of the richest and fascinating histories in the world. This history is heavily dependent on the nation’s past feudalist society, especially the shogunate and the samurai. This world centered around the warriors of medieval Japan did not come about spontaneously. Years, decades, and even millennia led up to the military’s rise in power. Eventually, this class dominated even the emperors’ rules. However, the lack of modern use and advancements led to the decline of feudalism and eventually, its extinction. Although gone, this integral part of Japan’s history is forever embedded in modern day by influence.

Through the event layout of the book, it is demonstrated that patriotism is fighting for and having the willingness to make sacrifices for the preservation and restoration of a nation. This message is not only applicable to American troops, but also for the Japanese soldiers abiding by a corrupt version of the bushido code because both sides were willing to fight and sacrifice themselves in order to preserve or restore the honor of their

The Author, John Dower, argues the conflict between the United States and Japan and how it was fundamentally rooted in the mutual hatred of both nations. The death and destruction during

The Japanese’s foundation of strength and character relied on an ever present honor system. This character not only went into their everyday lives but also their military. The Empire of Japan‘s militarization benefitted the people by embodying the best characteristics and highest morals of the Japanese people, thereby encouraging people to keep faith in their

A person cannot be punished if they did not want to participate. This creates another factor in Hirohito’s prominence post World War two was the image built up in around him that he was just an “unwilling puppet “influenced, manipulated, and excluded by high military officials that he was in fear of. Whether or not his depiction was accurate is still speculated today. This is less of a concern for this paper. Instead the focus is to show examples of this depiction and infer how it kept Hirohito in the public eye. The imagery of the “docile Emperor” can be seen long before World War Two. An example of this image is article entitled “New Emperor of Japan” written by Advocate of peace through Justice in 1927, when Hirohito first ascended to the throne, described him as “modest”, “gentle”, “retiring by nature, and “a lover of peace and simplicity”.

Japan’s extended victim narrative are reasoned to be that, “The Japanese.. alienated others because they had difficulty thinking in terms of equality and lacked any true sense of responsibility.”Dower claims. Japan’s view of their role in the war was defencive, any of these ideas spawned from propaganda spread during the war. A poll in a Yomiuri newspaper during the 1930s asked if Japan were aggressors during the war, 53% answered “Yes” while 24.8% answered “No”, the remaining had no response. Citizens alive during war time and the spread of war propaganda answered 39% dissaggreing Japan was an aggressor 41% in agreement and others had no response. Propaganda influenced and impacted the war memory for some citizens, allowing more negative memories cause by Japan to be

As pointed out in Chang’s book, Japan’s identity in the twentieth century was one that was “forged in a thousand-year-old system in which social hierarchy was established and sustained through martial competition.” (Chang, pg 19-20), this perfectly coincides with Machiavelli’s discussion on the three different types of armies (the state’s, the mercenaries, and the auxiliaries), in which he claims that a well-respected set of laws is rendered as meaningless unless it is being imposed by a strong, powerful army- one that is loyal first and foremost to its ruler. This is mainly because the soldiers participating in a state’s army would be willing to die for their country, without having to be incentivized constantly by the ruler (or Prince according to Machiavelli’s description). Moreover, this is evident in Chang’s statistics on the Japanese young soldiers that had fought in World War II, with reports in her book showing how the Japanese had only surrendered “at the rate of only 1 per 120 dead”, as opposed to their ‘Allied’ counterpart, which had a surrendering rate of “1 prisoner for every 3 dead” (Chang p. 20). It is worthy to note here that none of this should be viewed as coincidental; progressive trends throughout Japanese history have been evident, as Chang points out, and can be traced all the way back to medieval times. She explains this by drawing a parallel between the Japanese ‘Samurai’ and the teachings of the Roman poet ‘Horace’, whose famously known for his line “Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.” (Chang p. 20), which demonstrated an entire culture built upon the younger men of a generation in owing their lives to the

The above public opinion should be more accurately understood in the context of Japan's deal over historical issues. Japan's right-wing forces have for decades kept making attempts to deny the order established after the Second World War, such as visiting the notorious Yasukuni Shrine and distorting history books. A few months ago, Japan revised a school text book which distorted the history of Japanese atrocities in China and revised some references to the 1937 Nanjing Massacre.

Propaganda was used in 3 main types of ways in the First World War. It

The purpose of this thesis is not to single out Japan as an overly conservative nation run by older generations who are making the lives of the Lost Generation more difficult. The Baby Boomers in politics are attempting to return to a Japan that is respected and revered by the public. Several countries including America are guilty the same institutional drive to turn back time. However, the argument that “everyone does it” should not excuse any nation from facing the truth and the repercussions of their actions. Erasing any unsavory areas of history and reinstating previously discredited societal viewpoints under a new guise is not the way to increase national pride. Doing so can breed animosity like what we see in China, Japan and Korea today.

For the leftist and liberals, the Rape of Nanking is a key symbol of cruel Japanese militarism. They used the sympathy for civilian casualties to substantiate Article 9 of the constitution, which is essential to avoid another Nanking Massacre and to prevent Japan from waging wars in the future, and they viewed that the presence of Yasukuni proves the resurgence of Japanese militarism and the continual existence of feudalism in modern Japanese society. However, the rightist conservative camp in Japan is rising to prominence on a wave of patriotic assertiveness, and their influence is evident in the rewriting of Japanese textbooks to deny imperial Japan’s conquest in China. Therefore, in addition to its militaristic history and ideology chasm between political camps, the symbolism of Yasukuni adds external political pressure on Japanese government to re-examine the articulation of its wartime past.

"6." A Modern History of Japan: From Tokugawa times to the Present. 3rd ed. New York City: Oxford UP, 2014. 71, 79, 91. Print