HIST 1010 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Imperial Way Faction, Tōseiha, Zaibatsu
Document Summary
Women organizing in civil society, social reforms and trade union movements. Adoption of western styles, but retaining japanese traditions. Challenging working conditions, long hours, low pay. Genro: extra-constitutional ruling oligarchy which acted as advisors to the emperor. Kokutai: an ideology espousing obedience to the nation; collective vs. individual. 1919 ultranationalist stirrings led by kita ikki (executed 1937) - a political ideology resembling emerging system of fascism. By 1939, the four largest zaibatsu (mitsui, mitsubishi, sumitomo and yasuda) dominated: Both pursued foreign policies in asia-pacific as key to commercial, economic and market development. Demographic and related pressures were not going away. Japanese regional hegemony would put their interests at risk. Us industry needed secure access to raw materials (rubber), resources and minerals. Reasons were multifaceted (economic, political, cultural, and social) Fear of being cut off is intensified by collapse of markets in the west after 1929.
