The was a radical
Japanese nationalist
is a form of nationalism that asserts the belief that the Japanese are a monolithic nation with a single immutable culture, and promotes the cultural unity of the Japanese. Over the last two centuries, it has encompassed a broad range of ideas a ...
pan-Asianist
Satellite photograph of Asia in orthographic projection.
Pan-Asianism (''also known as Asianism or Greater Asianism'') is an ideology aimed at creating a political and economic unity among Asian peoples. Various theories and movements of Pan-Asi ...
organization founded in August 1919.
[Szpilman 2011, p. 55] The group arose from a pre-existing debate society, the
Rōsōkai (Old and Young Society), which was founded in October 1918 by , editor of
''Dai Nihon'' (Greater Japan).
Though the Rōsōkai was not explicitly
pan-Asianist
Satellite photograph of Asia in orthographic projection.
Pan-Asianism (''also known as Asianism or Greater Asianism'') is an ideology aimed at creating a political and economic unity among Asian peoples. Various theories and movements of Pan-Asi ...
, or indeed political in its focus, its membership included many leading pan-Asianists and political commentators.
Dissatisfied with the overly non-political nature of the Rōsōkai,
Ōkawa Shūmei and Mitsukawa Kametarō elected to form the Yūzonsha on 8 August 1919.
[ Szpilman 2011, p. 56] This organization had a clear pan-Asianist reformist agenda, and included prominent members such as
Kanokogi Kazunobu,
Nunami Takeo,
Kasagi Yoshiaki,
Shimonaka Yasaburō,
Kanauchi Ryōsuke,
Ayakawa Takeji,
Yasuoka Masahiro,
Shimizu Kōnosuke,
Iwata Fumio and
Nishida Mitsugi.
Shortly after the formation of the society Mitsukawa and Ōkawa asked the radical pan-Asianist
Kita Ikki
was a Japanese author, intellectual and political philosopher who was active in early Shōwa period Japan. Drawing from an eclectic range of influences, Kita was a self-described socialist who has also been described as the "ideological father ...
, author of the quasi-totalitarian ''Kokka Kaizō Hōan Daikō'' (A Plan for National Reconstruction), to provide ideological leadership.
Though he agreed to do so, moving to the organization's headquarters, he largely remained aloof from the organization; which did take on some of his ideology and was involved in illegally circulating copies of his banned work.
Though the Yūzonsha had plans to spread its radical pan-Asianist and
nationalist
Nationalism is an idea and movement that holds that the nation should be congruent with the state. As a movement, nationalism tends to promote the interests of a particular nation (as in a group of people), Smith, Anthony. ''Nationalism: The ...
message to university students, as a counter to the views espoused by
Yoshino Sakuzō, it met with little success. The organization launched a monthly journal,
''Otakebi'' (War Cry) in August 1920, but published only three issues before ceasing publication; equally unsuccessful were its attempts to publish books, and only a few pamphlets were produced.
[Szpilman 2011, p. 57]
It was involved in a couple of political campaigns, notably a successful one to prevent the annulment of
Hirohito's engagement to Princess
Kuni Nagako
Kuni or KUNI may refer to:
People
* Kuni-no-miya (久邇) ''ōke'' (princely house), the second oldest branch of the Japanese Imperial Family created from branches of the Fushimi-no-miya house
* Kuni Nagako (1903–2000), member of the Imperial H ...
, and an unsuccessful campaign to prevent his 1921 tour of Europe.
The group eventually dissolved in 1923, alongside the Rōsōkai after disagreements between Kita and Ōkawa, particularly over
Russo-Japanese relations.
References
Sources
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Yūzonsha (猶存社) (The Society of Those Who Yet Remain)
Japanese nationalism
Organizations established in 1919
*