| |
| Cultural Trends |
| |
The interwar period as a whole witnessed remarkable developments in literature and the arts. In literature, modernist themes could be found in the fiction of Shiga Naoya (1883–1971), particularly in his autobiographical writings, contrary to the earlier naturalism. Akutagawa Ry nosuke (1892–1927) wrote numerous short stories, often picking up on themes from older times but with new psychological twists; he is most famous for “Rash mon.” Perhaps the most popular Japanese writer of the century was Tanizaki Junichir (1886–1965), whose novels deal with the problems of assimilating “modernity” in Japan; his best-known work remains The Makioka Sisters. The writing of poetry also went through a period of readjustment in conflict and interaction with new themes and styles from the West. | 1 |
| There was a movement, begun in the early Shwa years, to invest dignity in Japanese handicraft or folk art, the mingei movement, advocated by Yanagi Setsu (1889–1961). In the 1930s, the enthnographer Yanagida Kunio (1875–1962) carried out an immense national survey of Japanese folklore. | 2 |
| The individualistic trend that flowed to Japan with Western cultural forms found expression in the “modern girl” movement. Young women dressed in fashions from the West, styled their hair like matinee idols, and behaved in decidedly autonomous ways. | 3 |
| In scholarship, Western philosophical trends—Hegelianism, Marxism, phenomenalism, and other schools—found interested Japanese. Yoshino Sakuz (1878–1933), who coined the term Taish democracy, was a Christian and a liberal who argued strongly on behalf of democracy. Nishida Kitar (1870–1945) attempted to merge Buddhist ideas with European ones. Socialism, Marxism, anarchism, and Communism all attracted followers in the Taish and Shwa years, until the government clamped down on them. A Japan Communist Party was founded in the 1920s, but it never achieved much distinction; many of its members recanted their views to avoid prosecution during the 1930s. Feminism flourished briefly in the Taish era; women sought the franchise, in vain, and greater control over their own lives, but until after World War II they were completely excluded from political life. Censorship became ever more serious from the mid-1930s forward; authors of censored books not only had to face the government, but they were frequently threatened by fanatical terrorists on the extreme right as well. | 4 |
| The most famous critic of trends in Japan from the right was Kita Ikki (1883–1937); he merged seemingly leftist attacks on the bankrupt party system and the zaibatsu, as well as calls for equality and nationalization of industry, with imperialistic adventurism and imperial autocracy. He became a hero for the emerging extreme right, and he was executed in 1936 for his alleged role in the February 26th Incident. There were ultranationalist organizations dedicated to such ventures in these years who concentrated their attentions on China and especially Manchuria. | 5 |
| |
| 1940, Jan. 14 |
| |
| Adm. Yonai Mitsumasa (1880–1948) formed a new cabinet. | 6 |
| |
| March 30 |
| |
| The Japanese supported the establishment of a puppet regime at Nanjing under Wang Jingwei (1885–1944). | 7 |
| |
| July 16 |
| |
| Prince KONOE FUMIMARO (1891–1945) was named prime minister of Japan to direct a program of consolidation and defense. | 8 |
| |
| Sept. 23 |
| |
| Japanese forces commenced the occupation of French Indochina after the French government yielded consent for the use of three airfields and made other concessions. | 9 |
| |
| Sept. 27 |
| |
| Japan joined Germany and Italy in a tripartite pact whereby all pledged total aid to each other for ten years (See Sept. 27). | 10 |
| |
| Oct |
| |
| All political parties were consolidated into the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, with the aim of building a mass party along Nazi lines. It never achieved that end. Efforts were made to eradicate all Western influences from Japanese life and culture and to indoctrinate the people in traditional, nativistic values. | 11 |
| |
| |
