Japanese Thought from the Taisho Era to the Second Sino-Japanese War and Its Impact on East Asian Relations

Abstract

During the Japan Taisho era to the Second Sino-Japanese War, the thoughts of the Japanese scholars experienced large disagreements and enormous alterations. The public, including soldiers, chose Fascism, which is an extreme ideology from all existing thoughts. In the literature review, the current studies either only mentioned the differences and adjustments of the thoughts of the Japanese scholars, or merely discussed the manifestations of militarism and Fascism in Japan. There is a lack of research on the public’s choices of the ideology. This research analyzes the reasons of the choice of the Japanese public based on the legacy of militarism in Meiji era, Showa financial crisis, the development of education level, and the violent changes that the path brought to the relations between East Asian countries. The history of Japan becoming extreme provides a negative example for today’s countries, global leaders should formulate reasonable educational syllabus and impartially avoid ideological education and cult of personality.