Japanese Nationalism and Its Impacts in East Asia

Japanese Nationalism and its Impacts in East Asia

Introduction

Led by a new group of conservative leadership, Japan is undergoing a rise in nationalism fueled by complex mixture of causes spanning from internal politics, economy, perception of new threat from China, and external influence know in Japan as Gaiatsu. Meanwhile, East Asia is experiencing a dramatic shift in regional dominance from Japan to China. Due to the rapid growth in China's economy, East Asian nations, having depended on Japan for regional leadership and economic aid, are now faced with a choice of adopting either a pro-China or pro-Japan policy. The rise in Japan's nationalism and its associated nationalistic actions are agitating many nations who have suffered from the Japanese colonial day. This trend, if continued, will lead to Japan's alienation from East Asian nations.

Japanese Nationalism

"The origins of Japanese nationalism are based on the following: (1) a belief that the Emperor is a descendant of God, (2) geographic isolation, (3) a desire for expansion within the region. Different kinds of nationalism have emerged during different periods in Japan's history?(Council on Foreign Relations, 2005).

However, current Japanese nationalism is defined by Wikipedia's statement that "From a political point of view and in the years leading up to World War II, the particular political and ideological foundations for the actions of the Japanese military can be called a Japanese nationalist ideology?(Wikipedia, Japanese Nationalism). Additionally, Matthews in his article Japan's New Nationalism, claims that Japanese nationalism took its modern form as a philosophy with fascist underpinning.