Understanding Japan By: Angelica Lopez, Leeann Burke, Grace Donnegan, Brandon Riehl, Nate Mohler.

Understanding Japan

By: Angelica Lopez, Leeann Burke, Grace Donnegan,

Brandon Riehl, Nate Mohler

Hirohito

• Reigned from 1926-1989• Japan experienced remarkable successes and

apalling tradgedies during reign• Key political leader• Japanese Emperor• Part of the axis powers

   "That most unfortunate war, which I deeply deplore."                               - Hirohito  

Emperor Hirohito

WWI Growth

• While WWI was in motion, Japan experienced amazing growth, its exports to allied countrys soared!

• Loads of industrial production grew, creating Japan into a true industrial power

• While Western powers went into war in                  Europe Japan expanded its influence                         through out East Asia.

• Japan, after the war, gained possessions                  and territory from Germany and China.                        

Japanese Democracy

• During the 1920's were moving toward widespeard democracy.

•  Political members were elected from the Diet which is the Japanese parliment.

• All men won the right to vote in 1925.• Women won the right to vote and suffurage in 1945.

The Zaibatsu "Beasts of profit that preyed upon worker

and consumer alike"

• Very powerful banking and industrial corporations 

• The MAIN FOUR o Mitsui, Mitsubushi,

Sumitomo, Yasuda• Influenced the government through

generous donations to political parties and the Military 

• Pushed for policies that advanced the companies 

The Zaibatsu

• Manipulated the Japanese economy for a  period of timeo Controlled 1/4 of

the economy • March 1932- "Blood

Brotherhood" assassinated the managing director of  Mitsui due to the corruption 

• From there on, the Main Four changed their ways o Donated to charitable

organizations o Gave money to the

unemployed of Japano Created own

charitable organization 

Western Interference

• Western powers battled in Europe• Western ideas about women's rights brought some

changes•  Western ideas influenced artwork, japanese citizens,

artistic media and methods• This caused people to leave the traditional world

behind•  China viewed themselves as totally self sufficient ,

      superior , and the only truly civilized land in a barbarous world. They were inward looking and were encouraged by the conservative Confucianistic beliefs of their emperors to cling to the ancient and traditional ways of the past, until Westernization.

Appeal Of Marx

"a theory in which class struggle is a central element in the analysis of social change in Western societies." "Marxism is the antithesis of capitalism."

Tokyo Earthquake

 Even though Japan was having great economic success, it still had its lows. A low that occured in 1923 was an earthquake in the Tokyo area, it is argued that this was one of the most destructive earthquakes ever.                 It's effects.1.Over 100,000 people died.– Damaged and destroyed over 650,000 buildings.– Caused 45 percent of buisness workers to lose their

jobs, because so many buildings were destroyed.

Ultranationalism

 A ultranationalist is someone that thinks every other country sucks and that country should be no more.  A lot of ultranationalists condemned politicions for agreeing to western demands to stop overseas expansion.  The ultranationalists were also outraged by the fact that they were being unfairly in other countries around the world.  When the economic crisis worsened, many people wanted more land.

Manchuria Incident

In 1931 some Japanese army officers aroused an incident that made an excuse to seize Manchuria. They put explosives and blew up tracks on a Japanese owned rail road line. They then claimed the Chinese had done the act. Wanting "self-defense" the Japanese with out consulting the government conqueredall of Manchuria.     After winning they set up a puppet state called Manzhouguo.The "League of Nations" tried to condemn the Japanese aggression, but Japan simply withdrew itself from the league.

Traditional Values

• Goal was to revive ancient warrior valueso Samurai - Japanese

warrior meaning "Those who serve"

• Lived to protect/serve the Emperor

• Used schools to teach absolute obedience to the emperor and the state

  人なる"those who serve"

Chinese Expansion

• During the 1930's, Japan took advantage of China's civil war to increase its influence there.

• Japan expected  to complete its conquest of China in a few years.

• In 1939, while the two nations were locked in deadly combat WWII broke out in Europe. That conflict swiftly spread to Asia.