Tōhōkai

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Tōhōkai
東方 会
Society of the East
Party presidency ( sōsai) Nakano Seigō
founding May 25, 1936
resolution March 23, 1944
Headquarters Tokyo

The Tōhōkai ( Japanese 東方 会 English Society of the East ) was a fascist political party in Japan that was active in the 1930s and early 1940s. Its origins lie in the right-wing political organization Kokumin Domei , which was founded by Adachi Kenzō in 1933 and campaigned for state socialism . In 1936 Nakano Seigō Adachi disagreed on political issues and formed his own group, which he called Tōhōkai .

Ideology and development

Inspired by the writings of the ultra-nationalist philosopher Kita Ikki , Nakano advocated national reform through parliamentary means rather than a military coup . 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 adopt a parliamentary democracy . The Tōhōkai used many of the features of the European movements they modeled, including wearing black shirts with armbands (with the Japanese character for east ) and holding mass rallies.

However, Tōhōkai's program was not a complete copy of the Western models, as the group was also driven by a deep admiration for Saigō Takamori and the Satsuma rebellion and had a strong monarchical nature. The Tōhōkai also advocated an economic policy they termed social nationalism , which was actually influenced by the ideas of the British Fabian Society and not by fascism. The group was also a heavily imperialist , with Nakano suggesting that Japan should pave a route through Singapore to the Persian Gulf to connect directly with Nazi Germany . Tōhōkai gained a little in popularity and held eleven seats in the Kokkai in its heyday in 1937 .

In 1939 the party entered into merger negotiations with Shakai Taishuto, a moderate left-wing party attracted to the socialist elements of Tōhōkai politics. Ultimately, however, the talks broke down, both because Nakano insisted on leading the merged party, and because many members of the Shakai Taishuto Tōhōkai believed to be a fascist party.

Merger and expiration

In October 1940, however, the Tōhōkai merged to the Taisei Yokusankai as part of Konoe Fumimaro's efforts to create a one-party state . They disbanded in 1941 because it was felt that Konoe had not founded the European-style totalitarian state party they wanted. As a result, the Tōhōkai was allowed to put up 46 candidates in the 1942 parliamentary elections. Seven members of the party were re-elected and Nakano continued his work as a critic of the government, berating Konoe and Hideki Tojo for not following Adolf Hitler's path more consistently.

In October 1943, Nakano was arrested along with 39 other members of the group for plotting a conspiracy to overthrow the Tōjō regime, and committed suicide under mysterious circumstances the night after they were released on bail. As with many similar movements based on a single charismatic leader , the Tōhōkai largely disbanded after Nakano's death and was officially disbanded on March 23, 1944. It was officially banned by the American occupation authorities in 1945 .

legacy

After the occupation of Japan, the Tōhōkai was revived by former members and is now a small ultra-nationalist group based in Kurume , Fukuoka Prefecture . The National Socialist Japanese Workers and Welfare Party also claims to be a successor to the Tōhōkai and sometimes uses their symbols.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Christian W. Spang, Rolf-Harald Wippich: Japanese-German Relations, 1895–1945: War, Diplomacy and Public Opinion . Routledge , 2006, pp. 181 .
  2. ^ A b c Roger D. Griffin : The Nature of Fascism . Routledge , 2003, pp. 155 .
  3. ^ Courtney Browne: Tojo: The Last Banzai . Angus & Robertson, 1967, pp. 102 .
  4. ^ A b c Roger D. Griffin : The Nature of Fascism . Routledge , 2003, pp. 156 .
  5. ↑ Stephen S. Large: Organized Workers and Socialist Politics in Interwar Japan . Cambridge University Press , 2010, pp. 219 .
  6. ↑ Andrew Roth: Dilemma in Japan . READ BOOKS, 2007, pp. 92-93 .
  7. ↑ a b Ben-Ami Shillony: Politics and Culture in Wartime Japan . S. 23 .
  8. ↑ Shillony: Politics and Culture in Wartime Japan . Oxford University Press , 1991, pp. 47 .
  9. ^ Peter Wetzler: Hirohito and War: Imperial Tradition and Military Decision Making in Prewar Japan . University of Hawaii Press, 1998, pp. 76-78 .
  10. ↑ The Tōhō Party official site. In: touhoukai.jp. Archived from the original on August 22, 2006 ; Retrieved November 4, 2018 (Japanese).
  11. ^ Political Flags of Extremism - Part 2 (n). National Socialist Japanese Workers and Welfare Party (Japan). In: loeser.us. Retrieved November 4, 2018 .