{"id":1090,"date":"2020-07-30T07:02:59","date_gmt":"2020-07-30T06:02:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/?p=1090"},"modified":"2020-07-30T09:42:31","modified_gmt":"2020-07-30T08:42:31","slug":"anti-militarist-resistance-in-japan-1926-to-1945","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/?p=1090","title":{"rendered":"Anti Militarist Resistance in Japan – 1926 to 1945"},"content":{"rendered":"

By way of an introduction<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

References to pacifist and radical actions within Japan during the period 1919 to 1945 are not well covered within any English language publications.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

It would be really good if this was not so. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Thus this is not a definitive study of just what happened during this period, but a starting point for anyone who wishes to know more about the subject.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Please note that the dates referred to below are those of publication, and not unless specificity stated the dates when the events occurred. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

War Resistance<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

The following reports were published in War Resisters International [WRI ] periodical <\/i>War Resistance.<\/i><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– July 1926<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Japanese Students Resist Military Training<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

At Meiji Gakuin College in Tokyo, 117 students voted against the introduction of military training at the university against 82 votes in favour of it. The result was that military training was not established at this university. In other colleges where it exists,it is becoming increasingly unpopular.’<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

— December 1926<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Japan Message to Youth.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Sent by The World Peace Society,<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

with an address in Tokyo.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– 1931<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The WRI sections include the:- <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

‘Group within the General Workers’ Union of Japanese<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– June 1931<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In a letter the Japanese General Workers Union [ Kanto Jppan Rodosha Kumiai ] of Tokyo expresses solidarity with WRI.
\n<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Autumn 1932<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

There is a short report Women of Japan.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

‘ Difficult as has been the situation in Japan, there have not been lacking brave souls who are prepared to run great risks on behalf of peace and anti-militarism.’<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Autumn 1932<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

& <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Spring 1934<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

There were reports about Dr Toyoshiko Kagawa, who is referred to as the ‘Gandhi of Japan’.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Summer 1937<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A letter is published from Tokyo under the heading: – <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Difficult Work in Japan.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In it there are references as to the problems faced by pacifists.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

‘It is not really practicable for us to form a group of WRI members at present for under present frenzied inspection by police a definitely illegal group could not exist, or at least, could not be active.’ <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Summer [ July ] 1938<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Under the Heading Japan \u2013 A few Letters get through there Is a brief report of the situation in the country.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The letter quoted states that: ‘ six university professors are under arrest for their anti-war attitude’.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Autumn 1942<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Children’s League of Peace and Goodwill carried on steady work up to Japan entering the war.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– Summer 1946<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A report two page report was published under the title:- <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Japan before the war, 1939.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

– 1958<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The Anarchist Federation of Japan published various pacifist articles. <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

At their 5th<\/sup> annual congress they read out a letter by WRI co founder Harold Bing.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Peace News<\/b><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

– May 14th<\/sup> 1938<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Under the heading \u2013 Japanese Refuse War Service.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

In a letter from Japanese Anarchists:- <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

‘ Since the War broke out mare than three hundred of our comrades have been arrested in Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, and other cities on that they translated and printed the publication of the International Anti-militarist Bureau, and distributed them.’<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Other Examples<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

From the Japan Times \u2013 March 4th<\/sup> 1996<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

‘Pacifist Documents from 1932 Found.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Documents sent from pacifist groups and activists in china and Britain protesting the Japanese military provocation in Shanghai in early 1932 were discovered among items left by the late lawmaker Tomi Kora. ‘<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Chiune Sugihara<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Chiune Sugihara <\/b><\/span><\/a>was a Japanese diploma<\/b><\/span>tic <\/b><\/span>vice-consul Lithuania<\/a>. During the <\/b><\/span>World War Two. He<\/b><\/span> helped about 6,000 Jews<\/a> flee Europe by issuing transit visas to them so that they could travel through Japanese territory<\/a>.<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Further Reading <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Hane, Mikpso<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Japan <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

A Short History<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Oneworld publication<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

London 2013<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

See in Particular these sections with chapter Six: – <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Socialist-Communist Movements<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

&<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Women Activists <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Crump, John<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

The anarchist movement in Japan<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

2nd<\/sup> edition <\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Anarchist Communist Editions<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

London October 2008<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Chapter two covers the period 1912 \u2013 1936<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By way of an introduction References to pacifist and radical actions within Japan during the period 1919 to 1945 are not well covered within any English language publications. It would be really good if this was not so. Thus this is not a definitive study of just what happened during this period, but a starting … Continue reading Anti Militarist Resistance in Japan – 1926 to 1945<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[22,16],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1090"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1090"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1090\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1094,"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1090\/revisions\/1094"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1090"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1090"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.theproject.me.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1090"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}