http://www4.ncsu.edu/~fljpm/chron/jc40.showa.prewar.html
1926-1937 Agitation Left and Right: Government by Assassination:
1925 Ookawa Shuumei, Asia,Europe,Japan:predicts next war will be with US; Yoshida Sadakichi ousted from Mombusho text committee for writings on feudal J. history
1926-1927 Fukumoto Kazuo leading leftist theorist
1927 Gondou Seikyou, Jichi minpan(Popular guide to self government):
= Fascist direct-action plan to liberate the oppressed agrarian class: see also Tachibana Koozaburoo
1928.03.15 Round-up arrest of leftists:
1928-1931 Federation of Japanese Proletarian Artists (NAPF); organ 'Senki' (Battle Flag)
= Kobayashi Takiji, Tokunaga Nao?, Kurahara ??, Nakano Shigeharu
1929.04 Round-up arrest of leftists:
1930 Tsuda Soukichi sued for claiming Nihonshoki was a fabrication to bolster imperial rule
1930.11 PM Hamaguchi assassinated to protest London Naval Treaty
1931.03 ?March Incident: Army coup d'etat plot discovered ???
1931.03.05 ?Ketsumeidan (Blood Brotherhood) assassinates Mitsui Baron Dan Takuma
1931.01-1931.02 Ketsumeidan Incidents: Attempts to kill financial-industrial leaders
1931.10 October Incident: 'Sakura Group' plot to air-bomb cabinet members and install Araki
= plot discovered: Hashimoto, Nemoto, Choo Isamu arrested
= produced irreconcilable gap between Ookawa and Kita-Nishida factions
Koodoo-ha (Imperial Way Faction): Japanese spiritual virtues:
= Gen. Araki Sadao, Gen Mazaki Jinzaburoo,
Kokutai genri-ha (National Principals Faction):
Toosei-ha (Control Faction): [opposed Koodoo-ha]:
= Maj. Gen. Nagata Tetsuzan, Watanabe Jootaroo
Tenken-too (Heavenly Sword Party):
= Nishida Mitsugu ('Little Ikki'),
Kenpeitai (Military Police)
1931.11-1934 Fed. of Jﾕese Proletarian Cultﾕl Orgﾕs (KOPF) succeeds NAPF
1932-1937 K凛a-ha (Symposium Faction: Comintern's 'official' representative of JCP): [ vs Rounou group]
= saw Japan as absolutist, halfway between feudalism and capitalism: must finish bourg. revolution
= Hattori Shisoo, et al.:
1932-1937? Rounou-ha (Worker-Farmer Faction of Communist movement): [vs K凛a-ha]
= Non-Leninists: saw Meiji as bourgeois revolution; should be followed by Socialist revolution
1932? Comintern (last) thesis on Japan: called semi-feudal:
= encourages JCP to work for bourgeois revolution:
1932.01.08 Lee Hooshoo? (Korean) attempts to assassinate emperor at Sakurada-mon.
1932.03.05 Mitsui zaibatsu leader Dan Takuma assassinated in Ketsumeidan Incident.
1932.05.15 May 15 Incident: Army coup attempt; kills PM Inukai Tsuyoshi:
= when coup fails, that evening, Ketsumeidan member wounds Nishida Mitsugu
= open trial
1932 Shakai Taish柎? moderate socialists organize under Abe Isoo, As?Hisashi,
...Saito Makoto cabinet marks end of party politics;
...Struggle between Kodo (Imperial Way) and Tosei (Control) army factions
1933.04 Takigawa Yukitoki (Kyoto U. law prof.) called leftist, works banned; 19 faculty resign.
1933.02 Kobayashi Takiji (age 31) killed by police at Tsukiji Yard in Tokyo
1933.07 Gakugei Freedom Alliance established:
1933.07 Shinpeitai Incident:
1933.11 Fujimori Seikichi, Tokunaga Nao, etc. leave Proletarian Authors Alliance
1934.11 Military Academy Incident: Muranaka, Isobe accused of plot, dismissed.
...Minobe Tatsukichi (law prof.): 'organ theory' of emperor: denies absolute sovereignty
1935 popular criticism of Minobe intensifies: but theory supported by Watanabe of Toosei-ha
1935? Third International: Comintern encourages Popular Front to oppose fascism
1935.08.12 Lt. Col. Aizawa Saburoo, angry at Toosei-ha, kills Nagata with sword.
= trial drags out, is closed after Feb. 26 Incident: Aizawa convicted and executed
1935 Oomoto-kyoo leader Deguchi Nao (rightist) again imprisoned for disrespect to emperor.
= around this time, in Kyoto, the Oomotokyoo headquarters are 'blown apart' by police.
1936.02.26 "February 26" Incident: Army coup involves 1,400+ officers: Okada cabinet falls:
= killed are Privy Seal Saitoo, Fin. Min. Takahashi, Insp. Gen. Watanabe:
= Emperor condemns the coup: martial law declared until July:
1937.08.19 Kita Ikki (who knew of plot at last moment) and Nishida executed for complicity
1936 Japan joins Germany in Anti-Comintern Pact.
1936 May Day demonstrations banned after February 26 Incident (see below).
1938-1939 Hiraga Purge: 10 Tokyo U. Profs ousted for a variety of political stances
Japan in Southeast Asia
1910-1915 Sakuma Samata [Gov. Gen. of Taiwan] leads mil. exp. against northern aboriginal groups
1922 South Seas Agency established on Koror (Palau)
1922 South Seas Agency establishes Tropical Industry Research Ctr. on Palau
1926 SSA est's TIRC on Ponape
1930 SSA est's TIRC on Saipan
1934 Palau Tropical Biology Research Ctr. est'd by Soc. for Promotion of Science
1930.10.27 Musha Incident (Taiwan): Tayal (Takasago) aboriginals protest J. rule: kill 134
1931 Oota Masahiro, Outline for Savage Rule: Education should enlighten savages
1930s [school text]: Story of Gohoo: Ch'ing official sacrifices himself to teach savages [Ching, 1999]
1935 Ooshika Taku, The Savage (Yabanjin): labor leader joins savages
1941 [school text] The Bell of Sayon: aboriginal woman sacrifices herself for Japanese luggage
1927-1937 Japan attempts to consolidate military rule in China
= growing resentment in Japan against laissez-faire capitalism
1920-1927 Guomindang (under Chiang) consolidates power; but Japan supports warlord Zhang Zuolin
1927 Chiang Kai-Shek establishes People's Government in Nanking
1927.03.24 Nanking Incident: Shangdong army defeated by Nationalist-Revolutionary coalition army;
= note the following accounts are utterly contradictory, need clarification
?? retreat to Nanking, where sieged by US, Br troops
?? Ch Nationalist Party troops seige J, US, Br consulates, Chr. churches: some die? {Nishio}
?? Foreign Min. Shidehara Kijuuroo advises restraint: Araki Kameo captured, commits suicide
1927-1929 Japan sends troops to Shandong then withdraws
1928.06 Zhang's train to Mukden blown up by Japanese (who wanted to set up autonomous Manchuria)
= Zhang's son Xueliang succeeds him, joins with Guomindang
1931.04 Nakamura killed in Mongolia by Chinese soldiers.
1931.09.18 Manchurian Incident (or Mukden Affair: cf 1928.06???):
= Guandong Army explodes rail to provide context for occupying Mukden
1931-1945 Battalion 731, in Harbin, conducts biological/poison/vivisection experiments on Chinese people.
= deaths est. at several hundred to several thousand: plans to spread bubonic plague never work
= Lt. Gen. Ishii Shiroo leads unit towards end of war (later became advisor to US miltary)
1931.10 Japan rejects League of Nations call to withdraw soldiers.
1931.11 Mao Tse-Tong establishes Chinese Soviet Republican Government
1932.01.28- Shanghai War (thirty-three days): Japan stages marine raid to provoke war: heavy losses
1932.05 truce declared [D.A.Jordan: 2001]
1932.03 Manchukuo (Northeast China) declared Japanese colony
1932.02 Lytton Commission arrives in Japan
1933.03 Lytton Commission report on Manchuria: Japan withdraws from League of Nations
1937.07.07 Marco Polo Bridge Incident: skirmish yields large battle at Shanghai...
PM Konoe hesitates, then declares 'holy war' against Chiang Kai-Shek
1937 Japanese takeovers of Beijing, Guangjou, Shanghai
1937? Taiwanese men sent to war areas as military servants
1937.12 Japanese army 'Rape of Nanking' (not 'known' until 1970s; official denials continue in 1990s)
1938.04 Diet passes National Mobilization Law: gov't control of major aspects of economy
1938 Japanese control of Chinese technostructure; too big to control
1938.08 Educ Min Araki Sadao declares 'spiritual mobilization': to consolidate public moral support of war
= slogan "One hundred million hearts beating as one" (ichioku isshin);
= slogan "The eight corners of the world under one roof" (hakkoo ichiu)
1938.11 Japan declares 'New Order in East Asia' as the goal of war
1939.01 PM Konoe replace by Hiranuma: Konoe takes Hiranuma's post as President of Privy Council
1939.08 Major Industries Association Ordinance:
= to create and monitor 'self-supervised' cartels (control associations: tooseikai) of major industries
= because jurisdiction was dispersed under various ministries, zaibatsu powers were not diminished
1940.06 Konoe initiates 'New Political Order' hoping dissolution of political order would enhance military
1940.10.12 Imperial Rule Assistance Association: to mobilize public support for war
= neighborhood associations formed for rationing, patrol against spies, sending off soldiers, etc.
1940.09.22 J troops enter northern Indo-China
1940.09.27 Tripartite Pact (J, Ger, Italy): recognizes East Asia as being under Japanese power sphere
1940.11 Celebration of 2,600th anniversary of founding of Japan
1940 Japan installs puppet nationalist Wang Jingwei; fails to gain support
1941.04 Elementary Schools renamed National Schools (kokumin gakkoo): renewed emphasis on nat'l studies
1941.04.13 Neutrality Pact signed with Soviet Union
1941.07 J troops enter southern Indo-China: hoping to reap spoils of departing European imperialist presence
1942 Taiwanese men sent to war areas as volunteer soldiers
1945? Mandatory conscription of Taiwanese men
= J-designed plans for Taiwanese male suffrage preempted by end of war
1926-1937 Literature of economic realism, etc.
= see also Kodama Kagai (1874-1943), Hosoi Wakizoo (1897-1925),
1926.01 Hayama Yoshiki, Letter in a Cement Barrel: fiancee falls into the vat--pink cement
1929.04-19931.12 Shimazaki Tooson, Yoakemae: saga of wealthy country family from Bakumatsu through Meiji
1929.05 Kobayashi Takiji, The Cannery Boat(pub. in Akahata): miserable workers on boat confront bully foreman
1928.11-1931.11 Yokomitsu Riichi, Shanghai (orig. Furo to ginkoo): lyric evocation of political uneasiness in corrupt city
1930 Yokomitsu Riichi, Machine:
1933 (Shanghai) Andre Malraux, Man's Fate: Revolutionary contemplates personal commitment
1939 Kim Sa-ryang, Hikari no naka ni: assimilation policy violence
1926-1937 Literature of sexual realism, etc.
Shinkankakuha (Neo-Sensorialist School): includes Kawabata, Yokomitsu, ...
1924.03 Tanizaki Junichirou, Chijin no ai (tr. Naomi):
1927.03 Akutagawa Ryuunosuke, Kappa: nation of water-sprites, where all is reverse of 'normal'
1927.07.24 Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (36) suicide, partly in fear of genetic schizophrenia
1928 Kawabata Yasunari, Izu Dancer:
1928 (England) D.H.Lawrence, Lady Chatterly's Lover:
Nogami Yaeko, Machiko: Yamamoto Y栩? Nami:
1928.03-1929.05 Tanizaki, Manji: Woman pursues sexual desires; increasingly complex machination, rationalization
1928.12 Tanizaki, Tade kuu mushi (Some Prefer Nettles):
1930 Kuki Shuuzou, The Structure of 'iki': recentering Japanese culture in Edo plebian dandism
1933 Tanizaki Junichirou, Portrait of Shunkin: Lover disfigures woman and gouges his own eyes
1933 Kobayashi Hideo, Literature of the Lost Home (essay): City culture has lost its grounding
1935 Yokomitsu Riichi, Junsui shousetsu ron: criticizes naive realism of I-novel
...Kobayashi Hideo, Watakushi shousetsu ron: criticizes I-novel
1936 Hori Tatsuo, Kaze tachinu:
1937 Kawabata Yasunari, Snow Country: Dilettante takes train north for affair with rustic geisha
Popular Novels:
1926 ?Human Bullet, ?Beyond the Death Line, ?The Priest and his Disciples (Kurata?)
1926- : Post-earthquake book market spurs creation of 1-yen per book series:
1926 Gendai nihon bungaku zenshuu (Kaizoosha, 63v)
1927.07 Iwanami bunko series initiated
... Gendai taishuu bungaku zenshuu (Heibonsha, 60v)
... Meiji Taishoo Shoowa bungaku zenshuu (Shunyoodoo, 60v)
... Shinsen meisaku shuu (Kaizoosha, 46v)
... Gendai choohen shoosetsu zenzhuu (Shinchoosha, 24v)
... Nihon gi(ge?)kyoku zenshuu gendai hen (Shunyoodoo, 50v)
... Sekai bungaku zenshuu (Shinchoosha, 56v)
... Sekai taishuu bungaku zenshuu (Kaizoosha 80v)
Changes in technology and lifestyles:
1923 Gas used in wealthy homes for heating and cooking
1930~ Gas for cooking and heating becomes available to Tokyo row-houses.
1926-1945 Theories of race linked to policies on sexuality, lifestyle, etc.
Train suicides: 1891=72; 1932=2,587 peak; 1945=654 low; 1955=2,279 peak; 1967=1,052 low.
Population of Japan: 1930=64 million
terms: isshin doojin, ryoosei kenbo, karayuki
?? Kida Sadakichi: theory of mixed origins of Japanese race
1933 Nagai Hisomu (in Minzoku Eisei): argues against intermarriage, for purity of blood
1940 National Eugenics Law: to promote sterilization of genetically inferior people
Eugenics movement supported by Hiratsuka Raicho, Ichikawa Fusae,
1941 Min. of Health & Welf: population expansion policy encouraged (for naichi only)
1943 MHW Research Bureau report: advises against intermarriage, to maintain Yamato genetic purity
International Events
1931 Worldwide economic depression reaches catastrophic levels
1920~ Cinema: Ozu Yasujiro, Naruse Mikio,
1925~ Kawabata et al found Neo-Perceptionist Film League
1926 Kunigasa Teinosuke, A Page Askew: (compared to Eisensteinﾕs films)
1932 umarete wa mita keredo
1934 ukikusa monogatari
1936 akanishi kakita
1936 kouutiyama soushun
1936 Mizoguchi Kenji, Gion no shimai (Sisters of Gion): women doomed by male domination.
1937 enoken no chakkiri kinta
1937 asakusa no hi
1938 gonin no sekkouhei
1939 ani to sono imouto
1939 zangiku monogatari
1941 uma
1941 genroku chushingura
1941 akatsuki no gassho
1933-1945 Converts to Nationalism (tenkou: Intellectuals forced to renounce leftism:
= Imprisoned: Yamada Katsujiroo, Kido Mantarou, Miyamoto Yuriko, Miyamoto Kenji,
= (cont.): Kawakami Hajime (1933-37), Takami Jun (1933-34), Tsuda Soukichi, Iwanami Shigeo,
= (cont.): Miki Kiyoshi (1945.03 - d. in prison 1945.09),
1933.06 conversion of Sano Manabu, Nabeyama Sadachika
1937-1938 Shimaki Kensaku, Seikatsu no tanky?/i>: (tenkoubungaku)
1938 Hino Ashihei, Barley and Soldiers: Diary of soldier on cruelly embattled road to Suchow.
1939.08 Umezaki Haruo, Fuuen (Waseda bungaku): life of student without purpose
1939 Ishikawa Tatsuzou Ikite iru heitai: (provokes incident)
1940 Tsuda Soukichi: 4 books banned, imprisoned (1942) for 3 months
1941.05 Information Bureau issues new censor laws and blacklist of journalists: Baba Tsunego, Kiyosawa Kiyoshi, Yanaihara Tadao.
1941 Toojoo Hideki, Senjinkun: tells soldiers to prefer death over surrender
1941 Takamura Koutarou Chieko shou:
1942.01 Army organizes monthly meetings (muika-kai) to decide editorial policies for major journals.
1942-1944 Yokohama jiken: Chuuou kouron magazine writers called Socialist, imprisoned (3 die by torture)
1945.04 Yoshida Shigeru interrogated for 45 days.
1936-1945 Intellectuals in Support of the National War Effort
1936-1940 Shouwa Kenkyu-Kai: ex-Marxist converts support war to avoid capitalism, imperialism.
= Gotou Ryuunosuke, Miki Kiyoshi, Rouyama Masamichi, Ozaki Hotsumi, Hosokawa Karoku
??? Literary Patriotic Association:
1942 Kyoto philosophers in support: justify Japanese militarism as sacred war to liberate Asia.
= Kousaka Masaaki, Suzuki Shigetaka, Kouyama Iwao, Nishitani Keiji, Nishida Kitarou
1944 Great East Asia Literary Conference (Nanking):
1938-1941 Confrontation with Russia renewed then averted
1939.05.12-1939.09.15 Nomonhan Incident: Soviet forces defeat Japanese army at Mongol-Manchuria border:
= Soviets had pact with Mongols, superior technology: caused J. army to turn to biological warfare
1941.04.13 Japan and Russian conclude non-aggression pact
1941.07 Germany advances into Russia
1941.10 Sorge spy ring (Tokyo) broken: Sorge and Ozaki arrested
1933.09 Richard Sorge arrives in J: reporter for Frankfurt Zeitung;
= spy for Soviets (w/ Ozaki Hidemi): to learn J. policy toward USSR and prevent J. from invading USSR
= tells Russ about J intent to move south; Soviets free to fight Germany
1944.11.07 Sorge and Ozaki executed
1942-1945 In war effort, Stalinist repression eases temporarily
1940-1945 War in the South Pacific
1940 autumn Japan invades north French Indo-China: Thailand, Burma (Britain fights for Allies)
1941.07 more advances into Indo-China
1941.12.08-1942.05 Japan gains all Southeast Asia
= except for French Indo-China and Thailand
1941.12.08 (07 in US) Japan attacks Pearl Harbor and Philippines (MacArthur vows to return)
= land on s. Thailand, n. Malaya (Kota Bharu): sink Br. ships Prince of Wales, Repulse
= bombing of Singapore continues until 1942.02.09 landing by J
= beginning of incursion into Borneo, Burma, etc.
1941.12 Japan advances onto Philippines, fighting US and Filipino troops
1942.05.06 US/Filipino troops surrender to Japan:
1942.01 Japan occupies Borneo (Dutch and British oil fields)
?? Battle of Java Sea (J v Dutch/Br/Aus/Am): J conquers Java in less than 10 days
= then Japan invades Sumatra, etc.
1942.02.15 Br Gen. A. E. Percival surrenders Singapore to J Gen. Yamashita
1942.05.late J army pushes British and Indian troops out of Burma, into India
1942-1945 Bataan Railway project: 100,000+ POWs die on 'Bataan Death March':
= along Kwai River, through Burma and Siam
1942.?? spring Japan occupies Singapore (ousting US)
= total Allied casualties: 425,000 soldiers; 35 warships; 800 planes
1942.06-1945.08 Allied Powers regain S.E.Asian territories
1942.06 Midway: US defeats Japan in sea battle
1942-1945 (US) 200,000+ US citizens of Japanese descent confined to prison camps in western US
1943.02 Guadalcanal: US defeats Japan on land
1943.11 Cairo Declaration: Roosevelt, Churchill, Chiang Kai-shek: planning for the postwar
= agreement to mete out territories taken by Japan after WWI: Korean independence, ...
1944.03 J attempt incursion into India from Burma: repulsed after heavy losses
1945.05? Rangoon is retaken by British
1945.06.24 allied planes destroy Kwai River bridge; prisoners moved to hills near Bangkok
1944.06 US takes Saipan to use as base for attacks on Japanese mainland
1944.07.12 Ship Nichiran sunk by US Piranha near Bashi Channel (Taiwan-Ph): 5,000 die
1944.10.20 MacArthur lands at Leyte Gulf (Ph): "I have returned"
1944.10.24 naval battle at Surigao Strait: US (under Kinkaid) overpowers J (Nishimura, Shima)
1945 Manila Massacre (by J army)
1944-1945 J Plans to attack US
?? Fuugaku six-engine planes designed to carry biological weapons to US
1945.09.22 Plan to drop bubonic-plague flea-bombs on San Francisco (designed by Ishii Shiroo)
?? Kodama Yoshi (of 'Black Dragons') said to have made fortune supplying weapons
= note in postwar Ishii becomes senior advisor to US on biological weapons
1945.02 US lands on Iwo Jima: victory after one month, heavy losses
1945.04.01 Admiral Nimitz leads invasion of Okinawa: battle lasts 82 days: kamikaze flights
= losses include 12,500 Allies; 11,000 J soldiers; 200,000? Okinawa civilians
1945.06? Japan loses Ryukyu Islands to US:
1945.05.08 Germany surrenders after losses on Second Front
1945 War Reaches the Japanese Mainland
1942.04?.18 Lt. Col. James Doolittle leads 16 bombers in air raid over Tokyo, etc.; little damage; landed in China
1942.08?.20 Eight captured fliers tried for war crimes under retroactive law, sentenced to death
1942.?? Judgement is reviewed in Tokyo: 5 sentences commuted to life
1942.10.10 Remaining three fliers are executed; one other dies of malnutrition
1943.04.23 US White House releases story (which had been widely publicized in Japan in 1942.10)
1944.06-1945.05 US B-29 bomber raids begin to fly regularly, flying in from China
1944.11 Regular bombings begin on Tokyo military facilities
1944.12.03 Air bombings of Nakajima Aircraft (Musashino): 5 of 86 bombers shot down
1945.01-05 US Gen. Curtis LeMay orders carpet-bombing of cities; exodus to country
1945.03.09 Air Raid on Tokyo (kills 125,000: twice as many as total bombings of England)
1945.02.04-11 Yalta Conference (US, UK, Russ) Agreement on dividing territories after war.
1945.07.26 Potsdam Declaration: Allies say Japan must surrender unconditionally or be destroyed
1945.08.06 US drops atomic bomb on Hiroshima (airplane Enola Gay)
1945.08.08 Russia renounces Pact of 1941; 8.9 invades Sakhalin, Manchuria.
1945.08.09 US drops atomic bomb on Nagasaki
1945.08.14 US continues bombings of Tokyo through August 14.
1945.08.14 Army faction storms govt bldgs, trying to destroy tape of Emperorﾕs surrender speech
1945.08.14(?) Hirohito address: ﾒThe war situation has developed not necessarily to Japanﾕs advantageﾓ
1945.08.15 Hirohito ﾔacceptsﾕ Potsdam Declaration, but declares Imperial state will remain intact
1945.08.28 US specialists (146) land at Atsugi. MacArthur arrives 8.30 to Yokosuka.
1945.09.02 Surrender signed aboard USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay, Gen. Douglas McArthur presiding
Pacific War Casualty Numbers
1937.07-1945.08 Japanese deaths in Japan: military 2,300,000; civilian 800,000
= includes 1944-45 air raid casualties of 668,000
1937.07-1945.08 Japanese deaths overseas: military 2,100,000; civilian 300,000 (Kawamura 1995:4)