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Tōhōkai ( 東方会 , Society of the East ) was a Japanese fascist political party . The party was active in Japan during the 1930s and early 1940s. Its origins lay in the right-wing political organization Kokumin Domei which was formed by Adachi Kenzō in 1933. In 1936, Nakano Seigō disagreed with Adachi on of matters of policy and formed a separate group, which he called the 'Tōhōkai'.

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110-498: Inspired by the writings of ultranationalist philosopher Kita Ikki , Nakano advocated national reform through parliamentary means rather than through a military coup d'état . Nakano turned to the Nazi movement of Adolf Hitler and the fascist movement of Benito Mussolini as examples of how radical right-wing political movements advocating corporatism could successfully take over a parliamentary democracy . The Tōhōkai used many of

220-488: A Soviet soldier . In February 2022, the U.S. armed forces related website Military.com published a story labeling the character as one of the best "Russian Movie Villains" in American cinematic history . As well, writer Todd McCarthy of Variety lauded the nature of Oldman's "fanatical" character, McCarthy stating that "in his second malevolent lead of the summer, after The Fifth Element , [he] registers strongly as

330-486: A superficial charm and skill at persuasion while at the same time failing to generate audience sympathy due to his true nature still coming out. Amir seeing himself in a callous, "instrumentalist" way as a living weapon up to and including Rabin's assassination feeds into, in Minow's opinion, the movie's "chillingly" thriller-type quality . Writer Carla Hay of CultureMixOnline.com also found Nahari's performance to be

440-507: A "narrow-minded doctrine without taking into account all the losses they would face". In Manara's opinion, "this effectively destroyed the nation." The absolute dictatorship of the Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu has also been described as an example of communism taking an ultranationalist approach by Haaretz . The Israeli publication cited the antisemitism of the dictator in terms of actions such as his historical denialism of

550-728: A charismatic leader, an organizationally amorphous movement-type party, and the nation". Bugajski believes that civic nationalism and the related concept of patriotism both can contain significantly positive elements, contributing to the common social good at times such as during national calamities. These doctrines stand in contrast, in his opinion, to the extreme approach of certain ideologies with more irrational actions . American historian Walter Skya has written in Japan's Holy War: The Ideology of Radical Shinto Ultranationalism that ultranationalism in Japan drew upon traditional Shinto spiritual beliefs and militaristic attitudes regarding

660-452: A compelling portrayal of a sociopath in film , with much left to audience interpretations. The video game Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare has gained notice for its depiction of a civil war inside Russia between the country's government and an ultranationalist faction, with the entertainment production being released in 2007. Its sequels, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 (2009) and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 (2011), were set in

770-521: A document titled " U.S. Initial Post-Surrender Policy for Japan ". The document set two main objectives for the occupation: eliminating Japan's war potential and turning Japan into a democratic nation with pro- United Nations orientation. By the end of 1945, around 430,000 American soldiers were stationed throughout Japan. Of the main Japanese islands, Kyushu was occupied by the 24th Infantry Division , with some responsibility for Shikoku . Honshu

880-733: A fascist party. It has subsequently been argued that Tōhōkai bears comparison to the left-wing of the Nazi party as typified by Ernst Röhm and others largely eliminated in the Night of the Long Knives . In October 1940, the Tōhōkai merged into the Imperial Rule Assistance Association as part of Fumimaro Konoe 's effort to create a one-party state . It broke away in 1941 as it felt that Konoe had not established

990-534: A food distribution network. Following the collapse of the ruling government and the wholesale destruction of most major cities, virtually the entire Japanese populace was starving. The air raids on Japan's urban centers left millions displaced, and food shortages (created by bad harvests and the demands of the war) worsened when the seizure of foodstuffs from Korea, Taiwan, and China ceased. Repatriation of Japanese people living in other parts of Asia and hundreds of thousands of demobilized prisoners of war only aggravated

1100-613: A key Cold War ally." An early sign of the shift in SCAP's thinking came in January 1947 when MacArthur announced that he would not permit a massive, nationwide general strike that labor unions had scheduled for February 1. Thereafter, the broader shift in Occupation policies became more and more apparent. Thousands of conservative and nationalist wartime leaders were de-purged and allowed to reenter politics and government ministries. In

1210-480: A post-war occupation of Japan began as early as February 1942, when President Franklin D. Roosevelt established an Advisory Committee on Postwar Foreign Policy to advise him on the postwar reconstruction of Germany , Italy , and Japan ( Axis powers ). On matters related to Japan, this committee was later succeeded by the smaller Inter-Departmental Area Committee on the Far East (IDAFE), which met 234 times between

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1320-532: A result of changes in priorities in connection with the " Reverse Course ," in the end only the 11 largest companies were dissolved. The Labor Standards Act was enacted on April 7, 1947, to govern working conditions in Japan. According to Article 1 of the Act, its goal was to ensure that "Working conditions shall be those which should meet the needs of workers who live lives worthy of human beings." Support stemming from

1430-637: A series of violent actions against both the national government and the supporters of the state. These attacks have collectively caused a large number of civilian deaths. For example, the Anuradhapura massacre committed by the LTTE on May 14, 1985 resulted in the killing of over one-hundred individuals inside of a holy city associated with local Buddhist worshippers . The militants deliberately targeted civilians socializing outdoors, such as by executing an elderly florist serving religious travelers. In

1540-541: A shift away from the government's previous reliance on Islamist political arguments . For instance, the news agency France 24 stated in a 2019 report that while "promoting ultra-nationalism" the Crown Prince "has introduced glitzy concerts, magic shows and sporting extravaganzas with thumping after parties." A 2019 article by the Financial Times likewise described the ideological shift as "a wave" that

1650-479: A threat to world peace. Reforms targeted all major sectors of Japanese society, government, and economy. Historians have emphasized similarities to the American New Deal programs of the 1930s. Moore and Robinson note that, "New Deal liberalism seemed natural, even to conservative Republicans such as MacArthur and Whitney ." Before reforms could be undertaken, MacArthur's first priority was to set up

1760-479: A veteran of the Afghan campaign pushed to desperate lengths to newly ennoble his country." The Israeli movie Incitement portrayals a fictionalized account of ultranationalist activist and murderer Yigal Amir . The production details his personal life prior to his assassination of Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin . Film critic Nell Minow stated that the killer, played by actor Yehuda Nahari, projects

1870-649: A week before the official surrender ceremony, 150 US personnel flew to Atsugi , Kanagawa Prefecture . They were followed by the USS Missouri , whose accompanying vessels landed the 4th Marine Regiment on the southern coast of Kanagawa. The 11th Airborne Division was airlifted from Okinawa to Atsugi Airdrome , 50 kilometres (30 mi) from Tokyo . Other Allied personnel followed. MacArthur arrived in Tokyo on August 30 and immediately decreed several laws. No Allied personnel were to assault Japanese people or eat

1980-1021: Is an extreme form of nationalism in which a country asserts or maintains detrimental hegemony , supremacy , or other forms of control over other nations (usually through violent coercion ) to pursue its specific interests . Ultranationalist entities have been associated with the engagement of political violence even during peacetime. In ideological terms, scholars such as the British political theorist Roger Griffin have found that ultranationalism arises from seeing modern nation-states as living organisms which are directly akin to physical people because they can decay, grow, and die, and additionally, they can experience rebirth . In stark, mythological ways, political campaigners have divided societies into those which are perceived as being degenerately inferior and those which are perceived as having great cultural destinies. Ultranationalism has been an aspect of fascism , with historic governments such as

2090-598: Is essentially founded on xenophobia in a way that finds supposed legitimacy "through deeply mythicized narratives of past cultural or political periods of historical greatness or of old scores to settle against alleged enemies". It can also draw on "vulgarized forms" of different aspects of the natural sciences such as anthropology and genetics , eugenics specifically playing a role, in order "to rationalize ideas of national superiority and destiny, of degeneracy and subhumanness " in Griffin's opinion. Ultranationalists view

2200-532: The Cambodian genocide is a specific example of this ideology when it is applied in practice. "Obviously, it was ultranationalism, combined with the notion of class struggle in communism and a group of politicians, which lead to the establishment of Democratic Kampuchea , a ruthless regime which claimed approximately three million lives", he has remarked, with militant leaders finally deciding to "cut all diplomatic and economic ties with almost all countries" due to

2310-510: The Diet passed Japan's first ever trade union law protecting the rights of workers to form or join a union, to organize, and take industrial action. There had been pre-war attempts to do so, but none that were successfully passed until the Allied occupation. A new Trade Union Law was passed on June 1, 1949, which remains in place to the present day. According to Article 1 of the Act, the purpose of

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2420-992: The International Military Tribunal for the Far East in Ichigaya , were trying Japan's war criminals and sentencing many to death and imprisonment. However, many suspects such as Masanobu Tsuji , Nobusuke Kishi , Yoshio Kodama and Ryōichi Sasakawa were never judged, while the Emperor Hirohito , all members of the imperial family implicated in the war such as Yasuhito, Prince Chichibu (younger brother of Hirohito), Prince Yasuhiko Asaka , Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu , former prime minister Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni ( Princess Shigeko , Hirohito's eldest daughter's father-in-law) and Prince Tsuneyoshi Takeda , and all members of Unit 731 —including its director Dr. Shirō Ishii —were granted immunity from criminal prosecution by General MacArthur. Before

2530-509: The U.S.-Japan Security Treaty , which has allowed US troops to remain based on Japanese soil on an indefinite basis. Even after the Occupation officially ended in 1952, a total of 260,000 American soldiers remained based on mainland Japan (exclusive of U.S.-controlled Okinawa, which based tens of thousands more). Even today, some 31,000 US military personnel remain based in Japan, including at major bases near Tokyo , Hiroshima , Nagasaki , Aomori , Sapporo , and Ishikari . Popular anger at

2640-504: The US-Japan Security Treaty (replaced by the revised treaty in 1960 ) allowed tens of thousands of American soldiers to remain based in Japan indefinitely, albeit at the invitation of the Japanese government and not as an occupation force. Since then, it is the first and only sustained presence of a foreign military on Japanese soil in its history . The occupation of Japan can be usefully divided into three phases:

2750-541: The United Kingdom adopted a secularist-minded platform centered on perceived technological progress . In contrast, the Iron Guard inside Romania utilized a hardline form of mysticism-driven religion to encourage determination among the nation's ultranationalists. Nonetheless, obsessive views on ethnicity and other divisions as well as connecting politics to motifs of sacrifice generally constitute

2860-561: The Yoshida Doctrine , Japan continued to prioritize economic growth over defense spending, relying on American military protection to ensure it could focus mainly on economic recovery. Through "guided capitalism," Japan was able to use its resources to economically recover from the war and revive industry, eventually sparking a lengthy period of unprecedented economic growth remembered as the Japanese economic miracle occurred from

2970-614: The de facto remilitarization of Japan. The occupation officially ended with the coming into force of the Treaty of San Francisco , signed on September 8, 1951, and effective from April 28, 1952, after which the US military ceased any direct involvement in the country's civil administration thus effectively restoring full sovereignty to Japan with the exception of the Ryukyu Islands ( Okinawa Prefecture ). The simultaneous implementation of

3080-448: The landlords under the government's reform program and resold at extremely low prices (after inflation) to the farmers who worked them. MacArthur's land reform redistribution resulted in only 10% of the land being worked by non-owners. By 1950, three million peasants had acquired land, dismantling a power structure that the landlords had long dominated. While these other reforms were taking place, various military tribunals, most notably

3190-496: The modern nation-state as, according to Griffin, a living organism directly akin to a physical person such that it can decay, grow, die, and additionally experience rebirth . He has highlighted Nazi Germany as a regime which was founded on ultranationalism. Ultranationalist activism can adopt varying attitudes towards historical traditions within the populace. For instance, the British Union of Fascists inside

3300-416: The psychological framework behind these movements. According to American scholar Janusz Bugajski , summing up the doctrine in practical terms, "in its most extreme or developed forms, ultra-nationalism resembles fascism , marked by a xenophobic disdain of other nations, support for authoritarian political arrangements verging on totalitarianism , and a mythical emphasis on the 'organic unity' between

3410-711: The surrender of the Empire of Japan on September 2, 1945, at the war's end until the Treaty of San Francisco took effect on April 28, 1952. The occupation, led by the American military with support from the British Commonwealth and under the supervision of the Far Eastern Commission , involved a total of nearly one million Allied soldiers. The occupation was overseen by the US General Douglas MacArthur , who

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3520-437: The 1930s and 1940s did not just rely on encouragement by the country's military . It additionally received widespread popular support. The Cambodian historian Sambo Manara has found that the belief system sets forth a vision of supremacism in terms of international relations whereby xenophobia or hatred of foreigners to the point of extremism leads to policies of social separation and segregation. He has argued that

3630-572: The 1930s under President Franklin D. Roosevelt . In 1947, a sweeping amendment to the Meiji Constitution was passed that effectively repealed it in its entirety and replaced it with a new, American-written constitution , and the Emperor's theoretically vast powers, which for many centuries had been constrained only by conventions that had evolved over time, became strictly limited by law as a constitutional monarchy . While Article 9 of

3740-498: The 1960s to the Lost Decades of the 1990s. With the acceptance of the Allied occupation authorities, the Japanese organized a brothel system (the euphemistically named " Recreation and Amusement Association ," or RAA) for the benefit of the more than 300,000 occupation troops. Many Japanese civilians and government officials feared that the Allied occupation troops were likely to rape Japanese women. "The strategy was, through

3850-663: The Allied Powers (SCAP) to oversee the surrender and occupation of Japan. Truman agreed, and MacArthur asked his staff in Manila to begin making concrete preparations for the occupation of Japan. As the Soviets moved in to occupy their allotted territories, some Japanese forces continued to resist even after the Japanese surrender. Such operations included final battles on the Kuril Islands and South Sakhalin well past

3960-412: The Allied occupation has introduced better working conditions and pay for numerous employees in Japanese business. This allowed for more sanitary and hygienic working environments along with welfare and government assistance for health insurance, pensions plans and work involving other trained specialists. While it was created while Japan was under occupation, the origins of the Act have nothing to do with

4070-758: The Allies in the Potsdam Declaration to Prime Minister Kantarō Suzuki and his administration . On August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender to the Japanese people in a nationwide radio broadcast . Two days after Japanese Emperor's first radio broadcast informing the surrender of Japan, Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni (a member of Japanese imperial family and father-in-law of Hirohito's eldest daughter, Shigeko Higashikuni ) became first post-war Prime Minister on August 17, 1945. Japanese officials left for Manila on August 19 to meet MacArthur and to discuss surrender terms. On August 28, 1945,

4180-602: The American decision to exonerate the emperor of war responsibility and then, in the chill of Cold War , release and soon afterwards openly embrace accused right-wing war criminals like the later prime minister Kishi Nobusuke . The Reverse Course ( 逆コース , gyaku kōsu ) is the name commonly given to a major shift in the Occupation policies that began in 1947 in response to the emerging global Cold War . In particular, U.S. priorities shifted from punishing and reforming Japan to ensuring internal political stability, rebuilding

4290-521: The Emperor theoretically unlimited powers. The new constitution drew inspiration from the U.S. Bill of Rights , New Deal social legislation, the liberal constitutions of several European states and even the Soviet Union, and transferred sovereignty from the Emperor to the people in an attempt to depoliticize the Throne and reduce it to the status of a state symbol. Included in the revised charter

4400-468: The Emperor would be spared from indictment." According to historian John W. Dower , "With the full support of MacArthur's headquarters, the prosecution functioned, in effect, as a defense team for the emperor." In Dower's view, Even Japanese peace activists who endorse the ideals of the Nuremberg and Tokyo charters, and who have labored to document and publicize Japanese atrocities, cannot defend

4510-525: The European-style totalitarian party of state that they desired, although their anti-British and anti-American propaganda meant that the government did little to curtail their activities as they did with other parties. As a result, the Tōhōkai was allowed to field 46 candidates in the 1942 general election . Seven members of the party were re-elected and Nakano continued as a critic of the government, berating Konoe and Hideki Tōjō for not following

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4620-646: The Holocaust . Ceausescu also made efforts to purge Romanians who had Jewish backgrounds from positions of political authority. Haaretz has also labeled the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban an ultranationalist, due to his views on autocratic rule and racial identity, particularly, Orban's public condemnation of " race-mixing ". He has also been called an ultranationalist by NPR , an American news agency, citing his opposition to democratic liberalism. In late 2015,

4730-594: The Israeli political journalist Gideon Levy wrote that the Israeli–Palestinian conflict has led to the decay of the civil society within Israel , with an ultranationalist movement that "bases its power on incitement to hatred" using "folkloric religion" gaining ground over decades so that: "They were the only ones willing to fight for a collective goal. They did not rule out any means. They extorted and exploited

4840-540: The Japanese Imperial Headquarters was dissolved. By December, all Japanese military forces in the Japanese home islands were fully disbanded. Occupation forces also exploded or dumped into the sea over 2 million tons of unused munitions and other war materiel. The issuing of the Removal of Restrictions on Political, Civil, and Religious Liberties directive by SCAP on October 4, 1945, led to

4950-455: The Japanese economy as soon as possible, American banker Joseph Dodge was brought in as an economic consultant. Dodge implemented the " Dodge Line " in 1949, a set of draconian contractionary fiscal and monetary policies that caused much hardship for the Japanese populace but succeeded in getting rampant inflation under control. Dodge also fixed the exchange rate at 360 yen to the dollar, a favorable rate that would help boost Japanese exports in

5060-436: The Occupation, in addition to thousands of civilian contractors and tens of thousands of dependents. The American forces were supplemented by around 40,000 troops from the British Commonwealth . The official British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF), composed of Australian , British , Indian and New Zealand personnel, did not begin deployment to Japan until February 21, 1946. While U.S. forces were responsible for

5170-428: The SCAP power structure that greatly increased the power of Japan's native rulers, and the Occupation began to draw to a close. The Treaty of San Francisco , which was to end the occupation, was signed on September 8, 1951. It came into effect on April 28, 1952, formally ending all occupation powers of the Allied forces and restoring full sovereignty to Japan, except for the island chains of Iwo Jima and Okinawa , which

5280-507: The Soviet Union's future existence. He therefore placed a far greater priority on establishing Soviet communist influence in Europe rather than in Asia. Following the dropping of atomic bombs and the entry of the Soviet Union into the war against Japan , on the night of 9–10 August 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced his decision that the Japanese government should accept the terms demanded by

5390-610: The U.S. in order to justify its desire to suffocate Russia. In a 2021 story, the business-centered publication Bloomberg News stated that the rise of ultranationalist viewpoints in China , particularly in terms of those who advocate extremism on social media , presents a direct challenge to the current government of the nation, with CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping facing opposition to his attempts to set forth climate change based economic reforms in relation to greenhouse gases . Chinese political activists have asserted, according to

5500-538: The United States continued to hold. American occupation forces remained in Japan in a diminished capacity, until the dissolution of the Far East Command on July 1, 1957. Iwo Jima was returned to Japan in 1968, and most of Okinawa was returned in 1972 . As a condition of securing the end of the Occupation and the restoration of Japanese sovereignty, Japan was compelled by the United States to agree to

5610-582: The United States, the Far Eastern Commission decided that Japan was to be partly de-industrialized. In the end, SCAP adopted a program of de-industrialization and de-concentration in Japan that was implemented to a lesser degree than the similar U.S. "industrial disarmament" program in Germany . To this end, the prewar zaibatsu industrial conglomerates were pressured into undergoing "voluntary" dissolution into smaller independent companies. Although SCAP originally planned to break up 325 Japanese companies, as

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5720-661: The abolition of the Peace Preservation Law and the release of all political prisoners. Japanese communists were released from jail, and the Japan Communist Party was granted legal status. On December 15, 1945, the Shinto Directive was issued, abolishing Shinto as a state religion and prohibiting some of its teachings and rites that were deemed to be militaristic or ultra-nationalistic. On December 22, 1945, at SCAP's direction,

5830-532: The act is to "elevate the status of workers by promoting their being on equal standing with the employer". In January 1946, SCAP issued directives calling for the purge of wartime officials from public offices. Individuals targeted in the purge included accused war criminals, military officers, leaders of ultranationalist societies, leaders in the Imperial Rule Assistance Association , business leaders involved in Japanese overseas economic expansion, governors of former Japanese colonies, and national leaders involved in

5940-506: The aftermath of an ultranationalist coup d'état in Russia and a subsequent war involving the American military . Militant leader Vladimir Makarov, a character in multiple games, notably declares at one point, "Russia will take all of Europe, even if it must stand upon a pile of ashes." Occupation of Japan Japan was occupied and administered by the Allies of World War II from

6050-496: The assassination and other acts of violence with the outcome of an October 2020 verdict by the Athens Court of Appeals wiping out the party's leadership through prison sentences. Looking back, the British publication The Guardian reported in 2021, "Golden Dawn hit squads sowed terror on the streets, targeting immigrants, left[-]wing trade unionists[,] and other perceived opponents before a party operative ultimately confessed to

6160-481: The autumn of 1942 and the summer of 1945 and had frequent discussions with two US presidents, Roosevelt and Harry S. Truman . During the war, the Allied Powers had planned to divide Japan amongst themselves for the purposes of occupation, as was done for the Allied-occupied Germany . Under the final plan, however, Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers (SCAP) was to be given direct control over

6270-569: The cabinet voted unanimously to grant women the right to vote. Two days later, before any action was taken to enact the cabinet's decision, General MacArthur issued his five-point reform directive, one of the points being an order to liberate Japanese women through enfranchisement. After MacArthur issued his directive, the Japanese government officially lowered the voting age and extended the voting franchise to women in future elections. On April 10, 1946, first post-war Japanese general election with 78.52% voter turnout among men and 66.97% among women

6380-523: The clearest way, the intentions of neo-Nazism". The organization held, at the time, 18 of the 300 seats in the Hellenic Parliament . Characterized as an extremist political party directly adapting the beliefs of Adolf Hitler , support for its ultranationalism increased in the context of the debate over spiking immigration to Greece . However, the Greek legal system ultimately investigated

6490-661: The communists in 1949 and the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950 had heightened conservative fears that communism was on the march in East Asia . Against this backdrop, the Japanese government and business leaders, with the connivance and encouragement of SCAP, purged tens of thousands of communists, alleged communists, and other leftists from government posts, private sector jobs, and teaching positions at schools and universities. The Reverse Course significantly weakened left-wing forces and strengthened conservatives, laying

6600-687: The constitution explicitly forbade Japan from maintaining a military or pursuing war as a means to settle international disputes, this policy soon became problematic especially as neighboring China fell under the control of the Chinese Communist Party and the Korean War broke out. As a result, the National Police Reserve (NPR) was founded in 1950. The NPR was reorganized into the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in 1954, effectively completing

6710-448: The context of the LTTE's militant campaign, the academic publication Journal of Hate Studies found in a 2006 analysis that "ultranationalism subordinates all other claims for loyalty and allegiance" given that "[l]oyalty to the nation transcends loyalty to the family." Thus, "this notion explains the commitment of Tamil Tiger nationalists to [even] engage in suicide missions", since the journal stated that "[u]ltranationalist loyalty demands

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6820-532: The continuing presence of these U.S. military bases in Japan even after the official end of the Occupation continued to grow over the course of the 1950s, leading to a nationwide anti-base movement and a number of spectacular protests, including Bloody May Day in 1952, the Sunagawa Struggle from 1955 to 1957, and the Girard Incident protests in 1957. Partially in response to these protests,

6930-460: The decisions leading Japan into war. Ultimately, SCAP screened a total of 717,415 possible purgees, and wound up excluding 201,815 of them from holding public office. However, as part of the " Reverse Course " in Occupation policy, most of the purgees would be de-purged and allowed to return to public life by 1951. After Japan's surrender, women's leaders in Japan began calling for women's enfranchisement. In August 1945, Ichikawa Fusae (a leader of

7040-486: The end of August in 1945. In the end, despite its initial hopes, the Soviet Union did not manage to occupy any part of the Japanese home islands, largely due to significant U.S. opposition that was backed by the leverage gained by its then newly realized status as the world's only nuclear-armed state. In any case, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin was not inclined to press the Americans very far following Japan's surrender. He

7150-414: The end of the Occupation, the United States has continuously pressured Japan to revise its American-imposed constitution to remove Article 9 and fully remilitarize. As a result, in 1954 the National Police Reserve was reorganized into the Japan Self-Defense Forces , a de facto military force, with U.S. assistance. However, thus far Japan has resisted U.S. pressures to fully rearm and remilitarize. Under

7260-469: The false conception that the Emperor is divine, and that the Japanese people are superior to other races and fated to rule the world. In 1947, the Diet ratified a new Constitution of Japan through amendment of Meiji Constitution that followed closely a "model copy" drafted by American civilian officials within SCAP, and was promulgated to replace the old Prussian -style Meiji Constitution that had granted

7370-414: The foundations for decades of conservative rule. At the same time, it did not completely destroy leftist forces that had been deliberately unleashed in the Occupation's early stages, setting the stage for extremely contentious political struggles and labor strife in the 1950s, culminating in the massive Anpo protests and Miike Coal Mine Strike , both in 1960. In 1949, MacArthur made a sweeping change in

7480-405: The guise of Licensed Agencies for Relief in Asia, private relief organizations were also permitted to provide relief. Even with these measures, millions of people were still on the brink of starvation for several years after the surrender. Once the food network was in place, MacArthur set out to win the support of Hirohito. The two men met for the first time on September 27, 1945; the photograph of

7590-475: The heart and ribs that occurred after his surrounding by multiple dozen Golden Dawn militants triggered widespread outrage at the Greek political organization . The ultranationalist attack occurred in an Athens suburb and resulted in a police crackdown with several arrests. The then Ministry of Public Order and Citizen Protection , Nikos Dendias , remarked that the "abominable murder" done "by an attacker sympathizing with Golden Dawn" publicly "illustrates, in

7700-594: The hunger problem in Japan, as these people put more strain on already scarce resources. Around 5.1 million Japanese returned to Japan in the fifteen months following October 1, 1945, and another million returned in 1947. As expressed by Kazuo Kawai, "Democracy cannot be taught to a starving people". Initially, the U.S. government provided emergency food relief through Government Aid and Relief in Occupied Areas ( GARIOA ) funds. In fiscal year 1946, this aid amounted to US$ 92 million in loans. From April 1946, under

7810-510: The imperial throne and was effectively granted full immunity from prosecution for war crimes after he agreed to replace the wartime cabinet with a ministry acceptable to the Allies and committed to implementing the terms of the Potsdam Declaration , which among other things called for the country to become a parliamentary democracy . Under MacArthur's guidance, the Japanese government introduced sweeping social reforms and implemented economic reforms that recalled American " New Deal " priorities of

7920-559: The individuals arrested as Class A suspects and incarcerated in Sugamo prison solemnly vowed to protect their sovereign against any possible taint of war responsibility. Thus, months before the Tokyo tribunal commenced, MacArthur's highest subordinates were working to attribute ultimate responsibility for attack on Pearl Harbor to former prime minister Hideki Tojo by allowing "the major criminal suspects to coordinate their stories so that

8030-528: The industrial sector, plans for further anti-trust actions against the remains of the old zaibatsu industrial conglomerates were scrapped, and some earlier anti-trust policies were partially undone. The incomplete suppression of the zaibatsu allowed them to partially reform as "informal associations" known as keiretsu . SCAP also attempted to weaken the labor unions they had recently empowered, most notably issuing an edict stripping public-sector workers of their right to go on strike. In order to stabilize

8140-602: The initial effort to punish and reform Japan; the so-called " Reverse Course " in which the focus shifted to suppressing dissent and reviving the Japanese economy to support the US in the Cold War as a country of the Western Bloc ; and the final establishment of a formal peace treaty with the 48 Allies of the Second World War and an enduring military alliance with the United States. American planning for

8250-447: The killing of Fyssas." The action film Air Force One features a terrorist mastermind named Egor Korshunov, played by actor Gary Oldman , who kidnaps a set of hostages including the U.S. President by hijacking the leader's plane . Korshunov seeks revenge due to the arrest of Kazakh dictator Ivan Radek, played by actor Jürgen Prochnow , and the militant became an ultranationalist radical after having formerly served as

8360-516: The leader had "swept across the kingdom". The following political parties have been characterised as ultranationalist. The following political parties have been described as having ultranationalist factions. The following political parties historically had ultranationalist tendencies. The following political parties have historically been described as having ultranationalist factions. Arising out of strident Sri Lankan Tamil nationalism , with differing ethnic and religious groups placed at odds,

8470-489: The main islands of Japan ( Honshu , Hokkaido , Shikoku , and Kyushu ) and the immediately surrounding islands, while outlying possessions were divided between the Allied Powers as follows: In early August 1945, with Japan's surrender seeming probable, the US Joint Chiefs of Staff recommended to President Harry S. Truman that Pacific Theatre Commander General Douglas MacArthur be named Supreme Commander for

8580-549: The militant faction known as the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) orchestrated a decades long campaign of terrorism in the country of Sri Lanka , which is inside of the Indian Ocean and has been influenced by broader socio-political trends. Both ultranationalism as well as revolutionary ideologies aligned against capitalist policies influencing Sri Lankan life motivated the organization as it undertook

8690-508: The nation's racial identity . By the early twentieth century, fanaticism arising from this combination of ethnic nationalism and religious nationalism caused opposition to democratic governance and support for Japanese territorial expansion. Skya particularly noted in his work the connection between ultranationalism and political violence by citing how, between 1921 and 1936, three serving and two former Prime Ministers of Japan were assassinated . The totalitarian Japanese government of

8800-510: The notion of the superiority of the " Yamato race " and that it could legitimize Japanese dominance over other Asians. According to Tōkōhai, Japan's mission was to liberate and unite Asia, since according to them, continental Asians were brothers and equals to the Japanese and never inferior. At the same time, on several occasions Nakano Seigo harshly criticized other Pan-Asianists for their racism and hatred against white nations. He contrasted these points of reference with those of Sun Yat-sen , who

8910-695: The occupation forces. It appears to have been the brainchild of Kosaku Teramoto, a former member of the Thought Police , who had become the head of the Labor Standards section of the Welfare Ministry. Before and during the war, Japanese education was based on the German system, with " Gymnasien " (selective grammar schools) and universities to train students after primary school. During the occupation, Japan's secondary education system

9020-481: The occupation of Japan. The establishment of a multilateral Allied council for Japan was proposed by the Soviet government as early as September 1945, and was supported partially by the British, French and Chinese governments. The initial phase of the Occupation focused on punishing Japan for having made war on the Allies, and undertook a thorough reformation of Japanese society to ensure that Japan would never again be

9130-506: The only time in the history of Japan that it has been occupied by a foreign power. However, unlike in Germany, the Allies never assumed direct control over Japan's civil administration. In the immediate aftermath of Japan's military surrender, the country's government continued to formally operate under the provisions of the Meiji Constitution . Furthermore, at General MacArthur's insistence, Emperor Hirohito remained on

9240-422: The original 1951 Security Treaty was revised into a somewhat less one-sided pact in 1960, resulting in the current U.S.-Japan Security Treaty , which has had the effect of establishing a military alliance between the United States and Japan . However, even the revised treaty was opposed by many in Japan, leading to the massive 1960 Anpo protests , which were the largest protests in Japan's modern history. Since

9350-475: The overall occupation, BCOF was responsible for supervising demilitarization and the disposal of Japan's war industries. BCOF was also responsible for occupation of several western prefectures and had its headquarters at Kure . At its peak, the force numbered about 40,000 personnel. During 1947, BCOF began to decrease its activities in Japan, and officially wound up in 1951. The Far Eastern Commission and Allied Council for Japan were also established to supervise

9460-408: The past. Examples include Nikolai Berdyaev , Aleksandr Dugin (the author of 1997's The Foundations of Geopolitics: The Geopolitical Future of Russia ), Lev Gumilyov , and Ivan Ilyin . The newspaper highlighted the justifications which were given in support of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine , quoting Putin's declaration that he must militarily combat an "empire of lies" which was created by

9570-488: The path of Adolf Hitler more closely. In October 1943, Nakano was arrested along with 39 other members of the party on charges of plotting to overthrow the Tōjō regime, and he committed suicide under mysterious circumstances the night after he was released on bail. As with many similar movements based on a single charismatic leader , the Tōhōkai largely dissolved after Nakano's death and was formally disbanded on 23 March 1944. It

9680-725: The political ammunition he needed to begin the real work of the occupation. While other Allied political and military leaders pushed for Hirohito to be tried as a war criminal , MacArthur resisted such calls, arguing that any such prosecution would be overwhelmingly unpopular with the Japanese people. He also rejected calls for abdication , promoted by some members of the imperial family such as Takahito, Prince Mikasa (younger brother of Hirohito) and former prime minister Prince Naruhiko Higashikuni (Hirohito's eldest daughter, Princess Shigeko 's father-in-law) and demands of intellectuals like Tatsuji Miyoshi . Japanese soldiers were rapidly disarmed and demobilized en masse. On September 15, 1945,

9790-521: The pre-war women's suffrage movement) organized the Women's Committee to Cope with Postwar Conditions, a group of 70 Japanese women whose top priorities included women's enfranchisement. Swayed by the urges of female leaders, Home Minister Horiuchi Zenjiro advocated for granting women enfranchisement in a meeting of the Japanese male leaders of the Shidehara Cabinet on October 9, 1945. Convinced,

9900-641: The public debate in Israel on the road to changing its power structure, character and substance." Russian irredentism , in which a militant imperial state that stretches across both Asia and Europe without regard for current international borders is proposed, has been described as ultranationalism by the U.S. publication the Los Angeles Times , with the aggressive actions of Russian President Vladimir Putin being credited as an evolution of political arguments which were made by multiple figures in

10010-521: The publication, a conspiracy theory that said that the reforms represent some kind of capitulation to foreign interests at the expense of individual Chinese people . Environmentalist policies have come into being in a complex fashion inside China, facing complicated opinions among many. Under the rule of Mohammed bin Salman , who formally serves as a Crown Prince , Saudi Arabia has been described by multiple analysts as embracing ultranationalism in

10120-908: The regimes of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany building on ultranationalist foundations by using specific plans for supposed widespread national renewal. Ultranationalism played a dominant role in the politics of the Empire of Japan , the Democratic Kampuchea , and the Socialist Republic of Romania . It has influenced parts of modern societies in Hungary, Israel, Russia, China, Saudi Arabia, and inspired terrorist groups in Sri Lanka and Greece. Ultranationalist characters have served as villains in multiple works of fictional media with popular acclaim. British political theorist Roger Griffin has stated that ultranationalism

10230-576: The scarce Japanese food. Flying the Hinomaru (sun disc), national flag of Japan was initially severely restricted (although individuals and prefectural offices could apply for permission to fly it); this restriction was partially lifted in 1948 and completely lifted the following year. On September 2, 1945, Japan formally surrendered with the signing of the Japanese Instrument of Surrender . On September 6, U.S. President Truman approved

10340-415: The shattered economy, and remilitarizing Japan to the extent possible under Article 9 , in support of U.S. Cold War objectives in East Asia . This involved relaxing and in some cases even partially undoing earlier reforms the Occupation had enacted in 1945 and 1946. As a U.S. Department of State official history puts it, "this 'Reverse Course'...focused on strengthening, not punishing, what would become

10450-685: The trappings of the European movements it emulated, including the wearing of black shirts with armbands (bearing the Japanese character for 'East') and holding of mass rallies. The programme of Tōhōkai was not a complete copy of the Western models, however, as the group was also driven by a deep-seated admiration for Saigō Takamori and the Satsuma Rebellion and was strongly monarchist in nature. The Tōhōkai also advocated an economic policy which it called 'social nationalism', one which

10560-418: The two together is one of the most famous in Japanese history. Some were shocked that MacArthur wore his standard duty uniform with no tie, instead of his dress uniform, when meeting the Emperor Hirohito . The difference in height between the towering MacArthur and the diminutive Hirohito also impressed upon Japanese citizens who was in charge now. With the cooperation of Japan's reigning monarch, MacArthur had

10670-487: The war crimes trials actually convened, the SCAP, its International Prosecution Section (IPS) and Shōwa officials worked behind the scenes not only to prevent the imperial family from being indicted, but also to slant the testimony of the defendants to ensure that no one implicated the Emperor. High officials in court circles and the Shōwa government collaborated with Allied GHQ in compiling lists of prospective war criminals, while

10780-404: The weaknesses of government, the guilt feelings and confusion of the secular camp, and they won. They did so systematically and smartly: First they established the foundation of their existence, the settlement enterprise. After they achieved their goal– the killing off of any diplomatic agreement and destruction of the two-state solution– they were free to turn to their next target: taking control of

10890-490: The willingness to sacrifice the self." In conclusion, the publication reported that an "extremist nationalist claim not only is understood as supreme, but [it] also is presented as urgent" and then demands political activists "must engage in preventive measures, such as ethnic cleansing or deportation". The assassination of Pavlos Fyssas in September 2013, a hip-hop musician with left-wing views, from stabbing wounds to

11000-569: The years to come and power the Japanese economic miracle . As part of the Reverse Course, the United States also began pressuring Japan to remilitarize. In 1950, SCAP established the National Police Reserve (NPR), which would later become the basis of the present-day Japan Self Defense Forces (JSDF), founded in 1954. The climax of the Reverse course came in the so-called " Red Purge " ( reddo pāji ) of 1950. The " fall " of China to

11110-547: Was actually influenced by the ideas taken from the British Fabian Society rather than fascism. The group was also strong imperialist, with Nakano suggesting that Japan should "blast a way through Singapore to the Persian Gulf in order to link up with Nazi Germany directly". Tōhōkai won some popular support, and at its peak held eleven seats in the Diet of Japan in 1937. Likewise, Tōhōkai rejected

11220-669: Was also resolved during this time. The Japanese writing system was drastically reorganized with the Tōyō kanji -list in 1946, predecessor of today's Jōyō kanji , and orthography was greatly altered to reflect spoken usage. A sweeping land reform was also conducted, led by Wolf Ladejinsky from SCAP. However, Ladejinsky would claim that the real architect of the reform was Hiroo Wada  [ ja ] , former Japanese Minister of Agriculture and Forestry . Between 1947 and 1949, approximately 5,800,000 acres (23,000 km ) of land (approximately 38% of Japan's cultivated land) were purchased from

11330-491: Was appointed Supreme Commander for the Allied Powers by the US President Harry S. Truman ; MacArthur was succeeded as supreme commander by General Matthew Ridgway in 1951. Unlike in the occupations of Germany and Austria , the Soviet Union had little to no influence in Japan, declining to participate because it did not want to place Soviet troops under MacArthur's direct command. This foreign presence marks

11440-586: Was changed to incorporate three-year junior high schools and senior high schools similar to those in the United States: Junior high school became compulsory, but senior high school remained optional. The Imperial Rescript on Education was repealed, and the Imperial University system reorganized. The longstanding issue of Japanese script reform , which had been planned for decades but continuously opposed by more conservative elements,

11550-462: Was free of racism and ready to make common cause with ostracized European nations against imperial powers. In 1939 the party actually entered into merger negotiations with Shakai Taishuto , a moderate left-wing party attracted to the left-leaning elements of Tōhōkai economic policy. Ultimately however the talks broke down, both because Nakano insisted on leading any merged party and because many members of Shakai Taishuto considered Tōhōkai to be

11660-468: Was held, giving Japan its first prime minister partially elected by men and women, Shigeru Yoshida succeeded Kijūrō Shidehara as prime minister, took office on May 22, 1946. At SCAP's insistence, as part of a New Year's Day message, Emperor Hirohito publicly renounced his own divinity, declaring: The ties between Us and Our people have always stood upon mutual trust and affection. They do not depend upon mere legends and myths. They are not predicated on

11770-470: Was not willing to place Soviet troops under MacArthur's direct command. Furthermore, in terms of both strategic interests and prestige the Soviets had achieved most of their war aims in the Far East. Moreover, whereas China, Korea and Japan were all a considerable distance from the USSR's European heartland, Stalin regarded establishing a powerful buffer against further military threats from the west to be vital to

11880-527: Was occupied by the First Cavalry Division and Sixth Army . Hokkaido was occupied by the 77th Infantry and 11th Airborne Divisions. By the beginning of 1946, replacement troops began to arrive in the country in large numbers and were assigned to MacArthur's Eighth Army , headquartered in Tokyo's Dai-Ichi building. In total, including rotations of replacement troops throughout the seven years, nearly 1 million American soldiers would serve in

11990-654: Was officially banned in 1945 by the American Occupation Authorities . After the Occupation of Japan , the Tōhōkai was revived by former members, and is now a minor ultranationalist group headquartered in Kurume , Fukuoka Prefecture . The National Socialist Japanese Workers and Welfare Party also claims to be a successor to the Tōhōkai and sometimes uses its symbols. Ultranationalist Ultranationalism or extreme nationalism

12100-465: Was the famous Article Nine , whereby Japan forever renounced war as an instrument of state policy and became forbidden to maintain a standing army. The 1947 Constitution also officially enfranchised women, guaranteed fundamental human rights, strengthened the powers of Parliament and the Cabinet, and decentralized the police and local government. To further remove Japan as a potential future threat to

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