Imperial Japan at Its Zenith

J. Ruoff Kenneth

Description

In 1940, Japan was into its third year of war with China, and relations with the United States were deteriorating, but it was a heady time for the Japanese nonetheless. That year, the Japanese commemorated the 2,600th anniversary of the founding of the Empire of Japan. According to the imperial myth-history, Emperor Jimmu, descended from the Sun Goddess Amaterasu, established the "unbroken imperial line" in 660 BCE. In carefully choreographed ceremonies throughout the empire, through new public monuments, with visual culture, and through heritage tourism, the Japanese celebrated the extension of imperial rule under the 124th emperor, Hirohito. These celebrations, the climactic moment for the ideology that was central to modern Japan's identity until the imperial cult's legitimacy was bruised by defeat in 1945, are little known outside Japan. Imperial Japan at Its Zenith, the first book in English about the 2,600th anniversary, examines the themes of the celebration and what they tell us about Japan at mid-century. Kenneth J. Ruoff emphasizes that wartime Japan did not reject modernity in favor of nativist traditionalism. Instead, like Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy, it embraced reactionary modernism. Ruoff also highlights the role played by the Japanese people in endorsing and promoting imperial ideology and expansion, documenting the significant grassroots support for the cult of the emperor and for militarism. Ruoff uses the anniversary celebrations to examine Japan's invention of a national history; the complex relationship between the homeland and the colonies; the significance of Imperial Japan's challenge to Euro-American claims of racial and cultural superiority; the role of heritage tourism in inspiring national pride; Japan's wartime fascist modernity; and, with a chapter about overseas Japanese, the boundaries of the Japanese nation. Packed with intriguing anecdotes, incisive analysis, and revelatory illustrations, Imperial Japan at Its Zenith is a major contribution to our understanding of wartime Japan.

Sujets

• Histoire
• Modern warfare
• World War II
• History of Asia
• Japan

Informations

• Publié par: Cornell University Press
• Date de parution: 18 septembre 2014
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9780801471827
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

Imperial Japan at Its Zenith

Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University

The Weatherhead East Asian Institute is Columbia University’s center for research, publication, and teaching on modern and con- temporary East Asia regions. The Studies of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute were inaugurated in 1962 to bring to a wider public the results of significant new research on modern and contempo- rary East Asia.

imperial japan at its zenith

The Wartime Celebration of the Empire’s 2,600th Anniversary

k e n n e t h j . r u o f f

cornell university press Ithaca & London

Cornell University Press gratefully acknowledges support for the publication of this book. Support came from the History Department of Portland State University, the Center for Japanese Studies of Portland State University, and the Weatherhead East Asian Institute, Columbia University.

Copyright © 2010 by Cornell University

All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in a review, this book, or parts thereof,

must not be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Cornell University Press, Sage House, 512 East State Street, Ithaca, New York 14850.

First published 2010 by Cornell University Press First printing, Cornell Paperbacks, 2014

Printed in the United States of America

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Ruoff, Kenneth James.  Imperial Japan at its zenith : the wartime celebration of the empire’s 2,600th anniversary / Kenneth J. Ruoff.  p. cm.  Includes bibliographical references and index.  ISBN 978-0-8014-4866-9 (cloth : alk. paper) ISBN 978-0-8014-7978-6 (pbk. : alk. paper)  1. Japan—Centennial celebrations, etc. 2. Japan—History—1926–1945. 3. Japan—Historiography. 4. Nationalism—Japan—History—20th century. I. Title.  DS888.5.R86 2010  952.03'3—dc22 2010011453

Cornell University Press strives to use environmentally responsible suppliers and materials to the fullest extent possible in the publishing of its books. Such materials include vegetable-based, low-VOC inks and acid-free papers that are recycled, totally chlorine-free, or partly composed of nonwood fibers. For further information, visit our website at www.cornellpress.cornell.edu.

Cloth printing Paperback printing

 10 98 7 6 5 4 3 2 1  10 98 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

For Jean, and Patrick, Megan, and Carolyn

c on t e n t s

 List of Illustrations  Acknowledgments

 Introduction 1. The National History Boom 2. Mass Participation and Mass Consumption

3. Imperial Heritage Tourism 4. Touring Korea 5. Touring Manchuria’s Sacred Sites 6. Overseas Japanese and the Fatherland  Conclusion

 Notes  Index

ix xi

1 27 56 82 106 129 148 180

189 223

Black and White Images

i l l u s t r at i on s

 1. Serving the throne 36  2. The Imperial Army on the march 44  3. Stone monument commemorating National Foundation Labor Service Brigades 64 4.Shoˉgetsuanpastryshopadvertisementpluggingitsimperialpastries 89 5.Postcardsshowingthe“Fatherland”Hyuˉgaandthe“RapidlyProgressing” Hyˉuga 91  6. Map showing Emperor Jimmu’s ocean voyage 92  7. Peasant girl in Takachiho 94  8. Postcard of National Foundation Labor Service Brigades 100  9. Advertisement for mementos of visits to sacred imperial sites 103 10. The 2,600th anniversary commemorative imperial tomb chart 104 11.Government-GeneralBuilding,Keijˉo(Seoul),Korea 110 12.TheGyeonghoeru(inJapanese,Keikairˉo)PalaceHall 110 13.Koreanresidentialareaincolonial-eraKeijoˉ(Seoul) 111 14. Chart of Imperial Japan’s commercial air routes, 1940 114 15. Chart for “Sightseeing Korea from the Train Window” 116 16.GlassgreenhouseinKeijoˉ(Seoul) 120 17. Racist cartoon from time of Russo-Japanese War 133 18. Postcard commemorating “Pilgrimage to Port Arthur’s Sacred Battle Sites” 134 19. The Dairen (Dalian) airport, circa 1940 136 20. “Coolies” at work at the port of Dairen (Dalian) 137 21.Shinkyˉoshrine 139 22.TheKanjˉoshibattlesitememorial 140 23. Palace of Emperor Pu Yi 141

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