War Without Mercy
"The Pure Self"
Yusuke Takahata & Adam Rod
Japan's perception of itself and
racial issue
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In 1914 Adachi comes to conclusion that as a whole is
inferior nor superior to other race
Kiyono racial colour not a subject of discrimination,
each race different advantages and handicaps
Japan calls itself as Shidou Minzoku - the leading race
6 main points in matters of idea “Self and Other”: “moral
righteousness, mythical legitimization, global vision, and
“shining history”
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Within propaganda use of old Japanese to emphasize
cultural superiority
Western countries saw them as inferior race (LON, USA
immigration law)
Struggle with finding what it really means to be Japanese
and what is Yamato?
Resenting Western racism, Japan came up with thesis
that they are superior, not based on colour of skin, but
because royal family were descendants of gods
Japanese commanders liked Charlie Chaplins The Great
Dictator
Purpose of War for Japan
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Fighting for the liberation of Asia, and ultimately for the
construction of a new global order.
The image of higher moral society
Kiyono's portrayal of the Greater East Asia CoProsperity Sphere
o "Proper place" and "suitable work"
 Discriminating term to categorize nations and
races.
o Japanese = one of absolute leadership
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A Citizen's Reader for Certain Victory
o Written by the famous writer Tokutomi lichiro
o "The country exists for the two billion people of the
world."
o "The model, the pattern, the standard for the world."
Bringing all races and nations of the world under "one
roof" (八紘一宇)
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Germans admired and despised Japan as ally.
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Japanese officers saw Germany as temporary ally.
Purification
1. Expunging foreign influences
o Western thought = Preoccupation with the self
2. Living austerely
3. Fighting loyally, if need be dying for the emperor
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Purge of Western ideas by many cartoons
o Ex. "Osaka Puck"
Extravagance is the enemy
Color - Red & White
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"Whiteness" as symbol of purity and cleanliness in both
West and Japan
White skin in Japan was considered as sign of social
status
Japan itself looked down on other countries and also
Japan has its own “whiteness” as a symbol of purity
White as symbol of purity, and cleanliness also an
element in West
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Japanese saw themselves as the whitest nation in
Asian and opposed themselves against darker nations
in Asia (Chinese etc.)
Who didn't have the white skin colour, colour of heart
was important, Red
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Red as colour of truth, faithful mind
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Red as colour of blood = colour of life
"Mythological" War
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Very strong meaning of Japanese flag and country
symbols in general
Japanese used names of mountains, mythical
creatures, poetic weather names as names for
battleships
Sacrifice, bloodbath becoming the supreme form of
spiritual cleansing
Self-sacrifice
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The ultimate purification = self-sacrifice
The battle of Atta
o 2,500 Japanese vs. 12,500 Americans
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"Japanese drink blood like wine!"
"I will become a deity with a smile in the heavy
fog. I am only waiting for the day of death."
Japanese fanaticism
"Attu Gyokusai"
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Tokkotai
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"Ichioku Tokko"
o The supreme
sacrifice and
ultimate state of
purification
Summary
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Japanese did not see war in pacific as a racial war, but
more as a war between different cultures
Japan has saw themselves as better nation and culture,
than other cultures and nations in the world
War was very ideological for Japan, also in a different
way than for West
Japan used sophisticated propaganda
Summary
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Fighting for the liberation of Asia, and ultimately for the
construction of a new global order.
o Purification of Japan, Asia, and eventually the world.
"Extravagance is the enemy"
o Purification of themselves by overcoming hardships,
to live austerely.
The ultimate purification = self-sacrifice
o "Ichioku Tokko"
Opinion about the Chapter
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Interesting chapter, because we finally could
see not only Western and US propaganda,
but compare it with Japanese style of
propaganda
Interesting to know how actually Japanese
propaganda worked
Opinion about the Chapter
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Tokko - Stupidity of the Japanese commanders
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Humanitarian problem
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Were the young willing to join it?
The drop of its success rate
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Technological progress of the US weapons
THE END
Thank you for your attention!