Showa Statism also called Showa Nationalism and shortened Showaism was a totalitarian, ethno-ultranationalist, culturally far-right, economically 3rd positionist (specifically corporatism) and expansionist ideology which was practiced and developed in Japan during the first half of the reign of Emperor Showa (who was called Hirohito at the time). Showa Statism was a political syncretism of extreme ideologies in Japan. It developed over time from the Meiji Restoration, after they overthrew the Tokugawa Shogunate.
Showa Statism's origins can be traced back to the Meiji Restoration. After the victory over China in the First Sino-Japanese War and over Russia in the Russo-Japanese War, Japan joined the Western powers. They needed a strong military to secure Japan's new overseas empire which was reinforced by a feeling that only through a strong military would Japan earn the respect of Western nations. The period where it was the most prominent was during the dawn of the Showa Period and throughout the Second World War. The first 20 years of Emperor Showa's reign it was characterized by extreme nationalism and a series of expansionist wars. It was a mixture of ideas such as Japanese nationalism, militarism, fascism (while disputed by some), and corporatism, that was initiated by several political philosophers and thinkers in Japan. Those philosophers include Ikka Kita, Shumei Okawa, and Sadao Araki. Many had different views, which is why Showa Statism could be described as a syncretism of extreme ideologies of Japan.
The Rise of Militarism
Kōdōha Faction
The Kōdōha or the Imperial Way Facion was founded by were General Sadao Araki and his protégé, Jinzaburō Masaki. The Kōdōha was a radical faction, that sought to establish a military government that promoted totalitarian, militaristic, and aggressive expansionistic ideas and was mostly supported by young officers. The Kōdōha was strongly supportive of the hokushin-ron ("Northern Expansion Doctrine") strategy of a preemptive strike against the Soviet Union, believing that Siberia was in Japan's sphere of interest; although there were supporters of the Northern Expansion in the Tōseiha, the faction largely favored a more cautious defense expansion. Both factions had struggled to gain influence over the military after the Manchurian Incident, however, the Kodoha remained dominant until the resignation of Sadao Araki due to illness, and the Kodoha would start to decline in its influence over the military. Araki was replaced by General Senjūrō Hayashi, who had Tōseiha sympathies. Thus, after the February 26 Incident, the Kōdōha effectively ceased to exist, and the Tōseiha lost most of its raison d'être.
The Righteous Army
A group of young IJA officers who supported the radical Kodoha. The young officers believed that the problems facing the nation were the result of Japan drifting from the kokutai (国体) (an amorphous term often translated as "national polity", it roughly signifies the relationship between the Emperor and the state). To them, the "privileged classes," exploited the people,(Almost all of the young officers' subordinates were from poor peasant families or working-class) leading to widespread poverty in rural areas, and deceiving the Emperor, taking his power and weakening Japan. The solution, they believed, was a "Shōwa Restoration" modelled on the Meiji Restoration of 70 years earlier. These beliefs were strongly influenced by contemporary nationalist thought, especially the political philosophy of Ikki Kita On February 26th, 1936, they would attempt a military coup with the goal of purging the government and military leadership of their factional rivals and ideological opponents.
Feburary 26th Incident (26-28 Feburary 1936)
The February 26th Incident (二・二六事件) was an attempted coup d'état in the Empire of Japan. It was organized by young officers known as the Righteous Army, who support the Kodo-ha, with the goal of bringing about the "Showa Restoration," purging their political opponents (particularly the Tosei-ha) and restoring direct rule under Emperor Showa (Hirohito). Although they managed to assassinate several leading officials and occupy the government center of Tokyo, they had failed to assassinate Prime Minister Keisuke Okada, secure control of the Imperial Palace, or get support from the Emperor. Their supporters in the army made attempts to capitalize on their actions, but divisions within the military, combined with anger at the coup, meant they were unable to achieve a change of government. Facing overwhelming opposition as the army moved against them, the rebels surrendered on 29 February. This resulted in the uprising being suppressed, the loss of Koda-ha factional influence, and the increase of military influence over the government.
Toseiha Faction
The Toseiha or the Control Faction was a political faction in the Imperial Japanese Army active in the 1920s and 1930s. The Tōseiha was created by Tetsuzan Nagata and Hideki Tōjō, a group of moderate officers united primarily because of their opposition to the radical Kōdōha faction and its aggressive imperialist and anti-modernization ideals. They were concerned that the Kōdōha would gain too much power and Araki's emphasis on the spiritual morale of the army instead of modernization and mechanization. Rather than the confrontational approach of the Kōdōha, which wanted to bring about the "Showa Restoration" through violence, the Tōseiha sought to reform by working within the already existing system. The Tōseiha saw that a future war would be a total war, and maximizing Japan's industrial and military capacity would require the cooperation of Japan's bureaucracy and the zaibatsu unions which the Kōdōha despised. The Toseiha rivaled the radical Kodoha for influence over the army until the Kodoha's de facto dissolved after the February 26th Incident, as for the Toseiha, became the dominant influence in the Japanese military but lost most of its raison d'être and gradually disbanded.
Totalitarian Period (1940-1945)
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Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere is a concept used to justify the Empire of Japan's imperialism. It promoted the cultural and economic unity of East Asians, Southeast Asians, South Asians, and Oceanians. It saw for its Pan-Asian ideals of freedom and independence from the control of western powers. In practice, it was often used by militarists and nationalists, who saw an effective way to strengthen Japan and advance its superiority within Asia.
Korea
From 1910 to 1945, Korea was ruled as a part of the Empire of Japan. Upon its annexation, Japan declared that Korea would be officially named Chōsen.
Taiwan
The island of Taiwan was once a part of the Qing Dynasty, however, was ceded to the Empire of Japan in 1895 after the Japanese victory in the First Sino-Japanese war. Taiwan was Japan's first colony and Japanese intentions were to turn Taiwan into a model colony with much effort made to improve Taiwan's economy, public works, industry, cultural Japanization, and to support the essentials of Japanese militarism in the Asia-Pacific.
Manchukuo
Manchukuo officially known as the State of Manchuria, also known as the Empire of (Great) Manchuria was a puppet state of the Empire of Japan from 1932 to 1945. It was founded as a republic in 1932 after the Japanese invasion of Manchuria (On September 18th, 1931, they invaded Manchuria prior to the Mukden Incident. The war ended in 1932 and the Japanese established a puppet state of Manchukuo), and in 1934 it became a constitutional monarchy under the control of Japan. Puyi was the Emperor of Manchukuo and was formerly the last Emperor of China and the Qing Dynasty. Their occupation lasted until the success of the Soviet Union and Mongolia with the Manchurian Strategic Offensive Operation in August 1945.
Philippines
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India
The Provisional Government of Free India or, Azad Hind, was an Indian provisional government established in Japanese-occupied Singapore during World War II. Azad Hind was recognised as a legitimate state by only a small number of countries limited solely to Axis powers and their allies. This government participated as an observer in the Greater East Asia Conference in November 1943.
Burma
The State of Burma was a Japanese puppet state created by Japan in 1942 during the Japanese occupation of Burma in World War II. As the war situation gradually turned against the Japanese, the Japanese government decided that Burma and the Philippines would become fully independent as part of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, contrary to the original plan that independence only be granted after the completion of the war.
Thailand
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Vietnam
The Empire of Vietnam is a Japanese puppet state. Japan would invade Vietnam, which was originally a colony of France and was called French Indochina. The Imperial Japanese Army invade Vietnam in September 1940 which would result in the Japanese occupation of French Indochina. The Japanese tendered an official apology for the incident at Lạng Sơn on 5 October 1940. The Japanese-occupied towns were returned to French control and all French prisoners were released. They would occupy French Indochina until 1945. When the Allies invaded France in 1944, Japan suspected that the French authorities in Indochina might assist Allied operations in the region. Therefore, Japan deposed the French authorities in the spring of 1945, imprisoning the French administrators and taking direct control of Indochina until the end of the war. At that point, Vietnamese nationalists under the Viet Minh banner took control in the August Revolution and issued a Proclamation of Independence of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam. The Japanese occupation of Indochina helped strengthen the Viet Minh and contributed to the outbreak of the First Indochina War in 1946 against French rule.
Malaysia and Singapore
British Malaya, which compromised the Straits Settlements, Federal Malay States and Unfederated Malay States was a British dependency in present-day Malaysia and Singapore. In December 1941, Japanese forces began their offensive via Kota Bharu and Songkhla, contrary to British estimates that the Japanese will attack Singapore first (which is proven by the construction of Fort Siloso in Sentosa Island, Singapore for that purpose). The British military attempted to launch a defensive naval force, which compromises of battleship HMS Prince of Wales and battlecruiser HMS Repulse, codenamed "Task Force Z" which later failed followed by the sinking of both capital ships by Japanese aerial torpedo attacks. The defeat of Allied troops at the Battle of Jitra by Japanese forces, supported by tanks moving south from Thailand on 11 December 1941 and the rapid advance of the Japanese inland from their Kota Bharu beachhead on the north-east coast of Malaya overwhelmed the northern defences and the Japanese gradually taking over the Malay Peninsula. During the Battle of Singapore, British and Australian forces, including the Malayan People's Anti-Japanese Army, Dalforce and the newly established Malay Regiment fought Japanese advances until their defeat on 15 February 1942. After the surrender of Singapore, Singapore was then renamed "Syonan" (昭南) while the northern states of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Terengganu are later handed over to Thailand for a brief period of time alongside of the utilization of the ports in Singapore and Brunei as a naval base for the Imperial Japanese Navy until at the time of Japan's surrender in August 1945.
Indonesia
Indonesia was once a Dutch colony that was called the Dutch East Indies. The Japanese conquered the Dutch East Indies rather quickly, and their invasion of the Dutch East Indies would begin on 10 January 1942, and the Imperial Japanese Army overran the entire colony in less than three months. The Dutch surrendered on 8 March. Originally, most Indonesians welcomed the Japanese as liberators from their Dutch colonial masters. However, this would change as the Japanese recruited between 4 and 10 million Indonesians as forced laborers on economic development and defense projects in Java. In 1944–1945, Allied troops largely bypassed the Dutch East Indies and did not fight their way into the most populous parts such as Java and Sumatra. As such, most of the Dutch East Indies were under occupation at the time of Japan's surrender in August 1945.
Second Sino-Japanese War
The Second Sino-Japanese War is a conflict fought between the the Republic of China and the Empire of Japan. The war made up the Chinese theater of the wider Pacific Theater of the Second World War. The start of the war is historically dated to the Marco Polo Bridge Incident on 7 July 1937, when a dispute between Japanese and Chinese troops in Peking escalated into a full-scale invasion. This war is often regarded as the start of the Second World War in Asia. Following the Marco-Polo Bridge Incident, the Japanese were able to score major victories such as capturing large cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and the Chinese capital of Nanjing in 1937, which would result in the Rape of Nanjing. Prior to failing to stop the Japanese forces in the Battle of Wuhan, the Chinese government was relocated to Chongqing. While Japan ruled the large cities, it lacked the adequate manpower to control China's vast countryside. By 1939, after Chinese victories in Changsha and Guangxi, the war reached a stalemate. The war would end on September 2nd, 1945, resulting in the Japanese surrendering to the Allies.
Beliefs
Due to the fact that Showa Japan was militarily allied with Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy and shared ideological similarities, Showa Statism is usually taken to be a type of Fascism, although this is disputed by some. Showa Statism is a syncretism of extremist ideologies. Some believed to unify the Asian race under the sacred rule of the emperor, some believed it was their destiny to liberate Asia from Western powers. Showa Statism is anti-western, anti-liberal, anti-communist, and anti-capitalist.
Nationalism
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Religion
State Shinto, is the official religion of Japan from 1868 through World War II. It implemented the ideals of Shinto into a political system. State Shinto strongly encourage Shinto practices that emphasized the Emperor as a divine being.
Economic Third Positionism
The military often criticized political parties under a liberal democracy and the complicity of the politicians with the zaibatsu corporate monopolies. The military favored the state controlling the market, to reduce the attraction of File:Soc.png leftist ideologies like communism and socialism. This led to the rise of monopolies being formed during the Meiji Restoration, and some of those monopolies were owned by the state itself and the zaibatsus. This economic arrangement was in ways similar to the corporatist models of European fascists.
Comparisons with European Fascism
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Militarism
Japanese militarism refers to the belief that militarism should control the political and social life of the nation, and that the strength of the military is the same as the strength of a nation.
Views on Race and Ethnicity
Neo-Showaism
Nippon Kaigi
The Nippon Kaigi (日本会議, "Japan Conference") is a culturally far-right, ultranationalist, militarist and historical revisionist non-government organization who seek to "change the postwar national consciousness based on the Tokyo Tribunal's view of history as a fundamental problem" and to revise Japan's current Constitution. Most of the members of Nippon Kaigi viewed the Liberal Democratic Party of Japan as their political partner, as the movement is influential in the legislative and executive branches of the Japanese government through its affiliates. They are critical of progressivism, especially having anti-feminist and anti-LGBT sentiments in general.
Netto-uyoku
The Netto-uyokus (ネット右翼, Japanese Internet rightists, sometimes shortened to Netouyo or ネトウヨ) are netizens who embrace ultranationalist far-right views on Japanese social media. The netto-uyoku are individuals with xenophobic and racist views and they generally convey support for historically revisionist views that portray the former Empire of Japan in a positive way. They are compared with the western Alt-Right due to their similarities
How to Draw
The flag of Showa Statism is based on the war flag of the Imperial Japanese Army, and therefore not to be mistaken with the ensign of the Imperial Japanese Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Forces
Flag of Showa Statism
Draw a ball.
Fill in with white.
Draw a red circle in the middle.
Draw some red beams coming out of the circle.
Draw in slant eyes.
Optional: Draw a "Kanmuri", a Japanese hat worn by Japanese Emperors throughout history.
Color Name
HEX
RGB
White
#FFFFFF
255, 255, 255
Red
#B22D3D
178, 45, 61
Note: This flag can be considered shocking content in China, Taiwan and Korea, therefore be vary on this.
Relationships
友達 (Friends)
帝国主義 - 私にすべてを教えてくれた父。西洋の帝国主義は悪、日本の帝国主義は善！ (My father who taught me everything. Western imperialism is evil, Japanese imperialism is good!)
Kōdōha Faction
General Sadao Araki and his protégé, Jinzaburō Masaki. The Kōdōha was a radical faction, that sought to establish a military government that promoted totalitarian, militaristic, and aggressive expansionistic ideas and was mostly supported by young officers. The Kōdōha was strongly supportive of the hokushin-ron ("Northern Expansion Doctrine") strategy of a preemptive strike against the Soviet Union, believing that Siberia was in Japan's sphere of interest; although there were supporters of the Northern Expansion in the Tōseiha, the faction largely favored a more cautious defense expansion. Both factions had struggled to gain influence over the military after the Manchurian Incident, however, the Kodoha remained dominant until the resignation of Sadao Araki due to illness, and the Kodoha would start to decline in its influence over the military. Araki was replaced by General Senjūrō Hayashi, who had Tōseiha sympathies. Thus, after the February 26 Incident, the Kōdōha effectively ceased to exist, and the Tōseiha lost most of its raison d'être.
The Righteous Army
young IJA officers who supported the radical Kodoha. The young officers believed that the problems facing the nation were the result of Japan drifting from the kokutai (国体) (an amorphous term often translated as "national polity", it roughly signifies the relationship between the Emperor and the state). To them, the "privileged classes," exploited the people,(Almost all of the young officers' subordinates were from poor peasant families or working-class) leading to widespread poverty in rural areas, and deceiving the Emperor, taking his power and weakening Japan. The solution, they believed, was a 
"Shōwa Restoration" modelled on the 
Meiji Restoration of 70 years earlier. These beliefs were strongly influenced by contemporary nationalist thought, especially the political philosophy of 
Ikki Kita On February 26th, 1936, they would attempt a military coup with the goal of purging the government and military leadership of their factional rivals and ideological opponents.
Emperor Showa (Hirohito). Although they managed to assassinate several leading officials and occupy the government center of Tokyo, they had failed to assassinate 
Prime Minister Keisuke Okada, secure control of the 
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