Japan's Holy War: The Ideology of Radical Shinto Ultranationalism

by Walter Skya

Japan’s Holy War reveals how a radical religious ideology drove the Japanese to imperial expansion and global war. Bringing to light a wealth of new information, Walter A. Skya demonstrates that whatever other motives the Japanese had for waging war in Asia and the Pacific, for many the war was the fulfillment of a religious mandate. In the early twentieth century, a fervent nationalism developed within State Shintō. This ultranationalism gained widespread military and public support and led to rampant terrorism; between 1921 and 1936 three serving and two former prime ministers were assassinated. Shintō ultranationalist societies fomented a discourse calling for the abolition of parliamentary government and unlimited Japanese expansion. Skya documents a transformation in the ideology of State Shintō in the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth. He shows that within the religion, support for the German-inspired theory of constitutional monarchy that had underpinned the Meiji Constitution gave way to a theory of absolute monarchy advocated by the constitutional scholar Hozumi Yatsuka in the late 1890s. That, in turn, was superseded by a totalitarian ideology centered on the an ideology advanced by the political theorists Uesugi Shinkichi and Kakehi Katsuhiko in the 1910s and 1920s. Examining the connections between various forms of Shintō nationalism and the state, Skya demonstrates that where the Meiji oligarchs had constructed a quasi-religious, quasi-secular state, Hozumi Yatsuka desired a traditional theocratic state. Uesugi Shinkichi and Kakehi Katsuhiko went further, encouraging radical, militant forms of extreme religious nationalism. Skya suggests that the creeping democracy and secularization of Japan’s political order in the early twentieth century were the principal causes of the terrorism of the 1930s, which ultimately led to a holy war against Western civilization.

Genres: Japan, Religion, History, Nonfiction, Politics

387 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2009

Reviews

[Shrike58 · Rating 4 out of 5]

What's still relevant about this book is that Skya examines the evolution of political Shinto from the peak of the Meiji era, to the functional triumph of what he calls "radical Shinto ultranationalism" during the turmoil of the 1930s into the Great Pacific War, and the incomprehension of the self-indoctrinated Japanese leadership that the world was not bending to their will. For Skya, the key point is that certain Japanese political thinkers recognized by the Taisho period that the suppression of popular political activity was no longer an option, and other methods of co-option would have to be found. This lead to a form of political Shinto which asserted, in relation to basic principles, that there was no distinction between the emperor and his people, and since the emperor was a god, there could be no error in acting in his interest; which is how many Showa Era assassins justified their acts. Sincerity would then cover a multitude of sins as the Japanese state united the world under one roof. Skya's in-depth examination of the influences on these varied thinkers, and the issues that they were grappling with, are the real virtues here.

Less good is that Skya's prose is often less than felicitous, his efforts to compare the Shinto extremists to the Muslim extremists of our era doesn't quite seem to ring true and, at a certain level, Skya seems to be too influenced by Samuel Huntington's notions about the supposed clash of civilizations. The end result is that I'm curious as to what impact this book really has had with serious scholars; though Skya is still active in his field.

Originally written: July 16, 2019.

[Han Asra · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent analysis and examination on what radicalize Japanese Empire at the early twentieth century. It's filled with thorough and detailed description of the person and the ideology that have shaped Japan into a country that wage war upon its neighbors and ultimately the world. This books main failing however, when it tries to draw parallel to the radical Islam in the Middle East. While it's ring some truth in regard to Al-Qaeda and Wahhabism, the parallel fall short when the author try to put it on Islamic Revolution of Iran. The lack of acknowledgement that Islamic Revolution of Iran was driven by Shia ideology, nor it mention the British-USA backed coup of democratic elected Mossadegh, show the author lack of expertise in this area. If the author was more careful on drawing his parallel and or at least acknowledge his own lacking in this are, this book would easily net a five stars from me.

[Jason Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

An academic analysis of how Japanese religious and political ideology evolved from the late 19th century leading into the Second World War. I enjoyed learning about this book's subject matter, though it could be hard to illuminate the content at times. This is definitely an academic work and requires a higher reading comprehension level than some books. My only real complaint is the author repeated himself somewhat often, especially with repeating terminology in successive sentences. All in all, a well-informed and comprehensive analysis of the extremist ideology of WW2 Japan.

[Timothy Fewless · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent