Anti-Japaneseism
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is a radical ideology promoted by a faction of the
Japanese New Left The in Japan refers to a 1960s Japanese movement that adopted the radical political thought of the Western New Left, breaking from the established Old Left of the Japanese Communist Party and Japan Socialist Party. In the 1970s the Japanese New ...
that advocates for the destruction of the
nation A nation is a community of people formed on the basis of a combination of shared features such as language, history, ethnicity, culture and/or society. A nation is thus the collective identity of a group of people understood as defined by those ...
of
Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
. The ideology was first conceived by Katsuhisa Oomori, a member of the New Left, in the 1970s. Extending from
anti-Japanese sentiment Anti-Japanese sentiment (also called Japanophobia, Nipponophobia and anti-Japanism) involves the hatred or fear of anything which is Japanese, be it its culture or its people. Its opposite is Japanophilia. Overview Anti-Japanese sentim ...
s and viewpoints such as the
Ainu Revolution Theory Ainu Revolution Theory ( ja, アイヌ革命論, ''Ainu Kakumeiron'') is a left-wing political idea in Japan that was active in the 1970s. It was a variant of Proletarian Revolution Theory that came to light shortly after the revision of the Tre ...
, it claims that "the nation called Japan and the entire Japanese race should be extinguished from the face of the earth". Anti-Japanism makes claims that go far back in history, denying the founding of Japan and the history of the Japanese people. It advocates for the extermination of the Japanese ethnicity.


Differences from Anti-Japanism

The Anti-Japanism theory posed that Japan's actions since the
Meiji period The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912. The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization ...
have been tainted by
imperialism Imperialism is the state policy, practice, or advocacy of extending power and dominion, especially by direct territorial acquisition or by gaining political and economic control of other areas, often through employing hard power (economic and ...
, and that a new regime is needed. According to Anti-Japanism, Japan's moral failure can be redeemed if the Imperial family is purged and the country forcibly transitions into a communist "people's republic". Anti-Japaneseism radicalized this argument by claiming that even the communist revolution could not redeem Japan because the Japanese themselves possess an inherent "aggressive nature". Proponents of this theory believe that the only way to redeem oneself from the "oppressive and criminal Japanese race" is to fight against all Japanese interests until the "Japanese" archipelago has been purged of anything Japanese. From this standpoint, the so-called "Japanese" must be fully aware of themselves as an "oppressive/criminal people" and should deny themselves. In this theory, since Japan is a counter-revolutionary nation that has accumulated crimes that cannot be amortized, and is an ugly shameful nation and ethnicity, thinking that Japan is the "homeland" is itself the greatest anti-revolutionary ideology. This theory preaches "Abandon Japanese consciousness of nation and ethnicity awareness thoroughly and be a traitor". Only those who accept this theory of extinction against Japan, and who becomes a warrior for the
anti-Japanese struggle The Korean independence movement was a military and diplomatic campaign to achieve the independence of Korea from Japan. After the Japanese annexation of Korea in 1910, Korea's domestic resistance peaked in the March 1st Movement of 1919, which ...
, will be freed from the "
original sin Original sin is the Christian doctrine that holds that humans, through the fact of birth, inherit a tainted nature in need of regeneration and a proclivity to sinful conduct. The biblical basis for the belief is generally found in Genesis 3 (t ...
" of the "suppressive/criminal people" for the first time.


Historical thesis

According to Anti-Japaneseism, the original inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago were lawless agriculturalists but were invaded by an equestrian tribe from whom the current
imperial family A royal family is the immediate family of kings/queens, emirs/emiras, sultans/ sultanas, or raja/rani and sometimes their extended family. The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term pap ...
descends. Those who resisted the conquest became
burakumin is a name for a low-status social group in Japan. It is a term for ethnic Japanese people with occupations considered as being associated with , such as executioners, undertakers, slaughterhouse workers, butchers, or tanners. During Japan's ...
.竹中労・平岡正明『水滸伝-窮民革命のための序説』より梅内恒夫「共産同赤軍派より日帝打倒を志すすべての人々へ」三一書房、1973年 The suppression continued through the 19th century as the imperial regime conquered the
Ryukyuans The Ryukyuan people ( ryu, 琉球民族 (るーちゅーみんずく), Ruuchuu minzuku or ryu, どぅーちゅーみんずく, Duuchuu minzuku, label=none, ja, 琉球民族/りゅうきゅうみんぞく, Ryūkyū minzoku, also Lewchewan or L ...
and Ainu. Thus, the history of Japan is defined as "a history of invasion and exploitation".黒川芳正『獄窓からのラブレター-反日革命への戦旅』 新泉社、1985年


Final solution

The so-called "final solution" of Anti-Japaneseism is to wipe the nation called "Japan" from the face of the earth and exterminate the Japanese race. Because, as described in the above historical theory, Japan is inherently evil, the continued existence of Japanese people is incompatible with peace.
East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front The was a Japanese New Left terrorist organization that existed from 1972 to 1975. The EAAJAF self-identifies as a leftist group which espouses Anti-Japaneseism ideology of revolution against the Japanese state, corporations, and symbols of Jap ...
member Yoshimasa Kurosawa affirms that he is not opposed to any particular Japanese political regime, but to the existence of Japan itself.


Strategy to extinguish Japanese ethnicity

The
East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front The was a Japanese New Left terrorist organization that existed from 1972 to 1975. The EAAJAF self-identifies as a leftist group which espouses Anti-Japaneseism ideology of revolution against the Japanese state, corporations, and symbols of Jap ...
has suggested a scenario that could lead to the ruin of Japan. In this scenario, they would invade
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
and topple the current "pro-Japanese" regime, replacing it with a military regime that is openly anti-Japanese. Japan, owing to its naturally aggressive nature, would invade Korea in response, then the Anti-Japaneseists could employ their terrorist networks to wreak havoc in Korea similar to the
Vietnam War The Vietnam War (also known by #Names, other names) was a conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. It was the second of the Indochina Wars and was officially fought between North Vie ...
, draining Japan's financial and political strength, which would allow its swift downfall. The detailed scenario is as follows: The main country of importance in this scenario is the
Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...
. By fostering
xenophobic Xenophobia () is the fear or dislike of anything which is perceived as being foreign or strange. It is an expression of perceived conflict between an in-group and out-group and may manifest in suspicion by the one of the other's activities, a ...
South Korean
nationalism Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the State (polity), state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a in-group and out-group, group of peo ...
, it would fuel anti-Japanese sentiment, induce a coup d'etat in the South Korean military, overthrow the "Pro-Japanese government", and eliminate the "Pro-Japanese" sentiments that are rooted in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. Then, the South Korean "Anti-Japanese military government" would declare war on Japan, killing at least 100,000 Japanese Self Defence Forces personnel. In
Okinawa is a prefecture of Japan. Okinawa Prefecture is the southernmost and westernmost prefecture of Japan, has a population of 1,457,162 (as of 2 February 2020) and a geographic area of 2,281 km2 (880 sq mi). Naha is the capital and largest city ...
, the "Ryukyu Republic" would declare independence. This 'independent nation' would declare war on Japan and the United States, and then ally with South Korea to invade Japan. In
Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...
, the "Ainu-Soviet Republic" would also declare independence. They would claim that Japan ignored the Ainu, in incidences such as "Returning the Northern Territories", and the slaughter of 5 million Japanese people in
Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...
who are "proud". This would also fuel anti-Japanese sentiment in
Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...
. Using the network of the
Japanese Red Army The was a militant communist organization active from 1971 to 2001. It was designated a terrorist organization by Japan and the United States. The JRA was founded by Fusako Shigenobu and Tsuyoshi Okudaira in February 1971 and was most active i ...
would prevent the export of
crude oil Petroleum, also known as crude oil, or simply oil, is a naturally occurring yellowish-black liquid mixture of mainly hydrocarbons, and is found in geological formations. The name ''petroleum'' covers both naturally occurring unprocessed crude ...
to Japan by the
Arab countries The Arab world ( ar, اَلْعَالَمُ الْعَرَبِيُّ '), formally the Arab homeland ( '), also known as the Arab nation ( '), the Arabsphere, or the Arab states, refers to a vast group of countries, mainly located in Western As ...
, the "Anti-Japan siege network" would surround Japan like the former
ABCD line The was a Japanese name for a series of embargoes against Japan by foreign nations, including the United States of America, Britain, China, and the Dutch. It was also known as the . In 1940, in an effort to discourage Japanese militarism, these ...
which was an economic sanction imposed on Japan taking the initials of national names, America (United States), Britain (England), China, Dutch (Netherlands) in 1940. After "the destruction of Japan", most of the Japanese people would be sentenced to death regardless of age or sex, as the majority of them are "Japanese Empire nationals". It is a scenario in which only comrades (World Revolution Ronin) who have abandoned ethnic and national consciousness and fought the anti-Japanese struggle are freed from their "original sin", and the Japanese ethnicity is extinguished from the earth.


Prohibition of human rights intervention in Korea

During the 1970s, some members among the left-wing strove to rescue
Kim Dae Jung Kim Dae-jung (; ; 6 January 192418 August 2009), was a South Korean politician and activist who served as the eighth president of South Korea from 1998 to 2003. He was a 2000 Nobel Peace Prize recipient for his work for democracy and human ...
detained by the government of the
Republic of Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korean Peninsula and sharing a land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed by the Yellow Sea, while its east ...
in the Kim Dae Jung Incident however, with Japanese status, this was out of the question. The anti-japaneseists believed this to be yet another expression of "Japanese superiority" that "Japan is a good country for democracy". It was thought to be a principled aggression activity.


Celebration to arson incident on Heian shrine

According to the theory of anti-Japaneseism, to feel pride in Japanese culture is a sinful act that is counter-revolutionary. People who subscribe to Anti-Japaneseism celebrated the Heian Jingu Arson Case where arson was committed on the
Heian Shrine The is a Shinto shrine located in Sakyō-ku, Kyoto, Japan. The Shrine is ranked as a ''Beppyō Jinja'' () (the top rank for shrines) by the Association of Shinto Shrines. It is listed as an important cultural property of Japan. History 220 ...
which enshrines
Emperor Kanmu , or Kammu, was the 50th emperor of Japan, Imperial Household Agency (''Kunaichō'') 桓武天皇 (50) retrieved 2013-8-22. according to the traditional order of succession. Kanmu reigned from 781 to 806, and it was during his reign that the sco ...
, who established
Heian-kyō Heian-kyō was one of several former names for the city now known as Kyoto. It was the official capital of Japan for over one thousand years, from 794 to 1868 with an interruption in 1180. Emperor Kanmu established it as the capital in 794, mov ...
, the relocated capital of Japan, in 794.


Influence on Japanese society

Since the eclipse of New Left influence, this group has been thought of as a bizarre cult. The activist who came up with the name "Anti-Japaneseism" has since left the group and describes it as "Satanic". The journalist Toshinao Sasaki describes life within the group as "insane". The education scholar Akira Moriguchi calls it a "violent ideology" and self-contradictory. It has been suggested, however, that this ideology has provided the basis for other terrorist incidents such as the
Tokyo subway sarin attack The was an act of domestic terrorism perpetrated on 20 March 1995, in Tokyo, Japan, by members of the cult movement Aum Shinrikyo. In five coordinated attacks, the perpetrators released sarin on three lines of the Tokyo Metro (then ''Teito Rapi ...
by
Aum Shinrikyo , formerly , is a Japanese doomsday cult founded by Shoko Asahara in 1987. It carried out the deadly Tokyo subway sarin attack in 1995 and was found to have been responsible for the Matsumoto sarin attack the previous year. The group says tha ...
in
Tokyo Metro The is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.84 million passengers, the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the two subway operators in the city; the other being the Toei ...
on three lines of the
Tokyo Metro The is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.84 million passengers, the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the two subway operators in the city; the other being the Toei ...
(then part of the Tokyo subway) during rush hour, killing 12 people, severely injuring 50, and causing temporary vision problems for nearly 1,000 others.原田実『幻想の荒覇吐(アラハバキ)秘史-「東日流外三郡誌」の泥濘』批評社、1999年


See also

*
New Left in Japan The in Japan refers to a 1960s Japanese movement that adopted the radical political thought of the Western New Left, breaking from the established Old Left of the Japanese Communist Party and Japan Socialist Party. In the 1970s the Japanese New L ...
*
Japanese Red Army The was a militant communist organization active from 1971 to 2001. It was designated a terrorist organization by Japan and the United States. The JRA was founded by Fusako Shigenobu and Tsuyoshi Okudaira in February 1971 and was most active i ...
*
East Asia Anti-Japan Armed Front The was a Japanese New Left terrorist organization that existed from 1972 to 1975. The EAAJAF self-identifies as a leftist group which espouses Anti-Japaneseism ideology of revolution against the Japanese state, corporations, and symbols of Jap ...
*
Revolutionary Communist League, National Committee Japan Revolutionary Communist League, National Committee (革命的共産主義者同盟全国委員会 ''Kakumeiteki Kyōsanshugisha Dōmei, Zenkoku Iinkai'' ?) is a Japanese far-left revolutionary group, often referred to as Chūkaku-ha (中 ...
*
Japan Revolutionary Communist League (Revolutionary Marxist Faction) The Japan Revolutionary Communist League (Revolutionary Marxist Faction) ( ja, 日本革命的共産主義者同盟革命的マルクス主義派, Nihon Kakumeiteki Kyōsanshugisha Dōmei, Kakumeiteki Marukusu Shugiha) is a Japanese Trotskyism, ...
*
United Red Army The was a militant organization, that operated in Japan between July 1971 and March 1972. The URA was formed as the result of a merger that began on 13 July 1971 between two extremist groups, the Marxist-Leninist-Maoist , led in 1971 by Tsuneo ...
*
Ainu Revolution Theory Ainu Revolution Theory ( ja, アイヌ革命論, ''Ainu Kakumeiron'') is a left-wing political idea in Japan that was active in the 1970s. It was a variant of Proletarian Revolution Theory that came to light shortly after the revision of the Tre ...
*
Revolutionary Communist Party of China The Revolutionary Communist Party of China is a Trotskyist political party based in Hong Kong. The party's members fled from Mainland China after the anti-Trotskyist Communist Party of China seized power in 1949, and its activities have since ...
* Juche ideology *
Anti-Germans (political current) Anti-German (german: Antideutsch, yi, אַנטי-דײַטש, Anti-Daytsh) is the generic name applied to a variety of theoretical and political tendencies within the left mainly in Germany and Austria. The Anti-Germans form one of the main camp ...
*
White guilt White guilt is a belief that white people bear a collective responsibility for the harm which has resulted from historical or current racist treatment of people belonging to other racial groups, as for example in the context of the Atlantic slave ...


References

{{New Left in Japan Anti-Japanese sentiment New Left Genocide of indigenous peoples Incitement to genocide