The Use Of Shinto For The Legitimization Of Japanese Agression In East Asia

Abstract

During the Japanese invasion in China, the spiritual pillar of the modern Japanese imperial system, the Shinto, reflected ideas of military aggression, and shrines were established in a wide range of areas in China, especially militarily and economically important areas. As an extension of the Japanese state, the shrines were dedicated to goddess Amaterasu and Emperor Meiji and other imperial family members. These shrines were not only built for the soldiers who were posted in these areas, but also for the Japanese migrants and later on for the local population. Especially in Taiwan and Manchuria, the local population also seems to have participated in the rituals. The reasons for this phenomenon as well as the reasons for the Japanese government to use Shinto for its political aims in China are discussed in this paper with references to primary sources. Newspaper articles and archival materials from Japan are used for coming to the conclusions, and these materials were read critically to eliminate the nationalist biases on such documents of the period. Since Shinto is often treated as a religion peculiar to Japan, its presence during the war years outside of Japan and its worshippers within the local populations of the occupied areas are rarely examined. Therefore this paper aims to shed light on the Shinto shrines and their aims as well as communities. Since this issue as well as shrines such as Yasakuni and their branches still controversial in China and Japan, the political side and the ideological details are omitted while focusing on the history of the shrines within Mainland China and Taiwan.