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| Fukoku kyōhei | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese name | |||||
| Kana | ふこくきょうへい | ||||
| Kyūjitai | 富國强兵 | ||||
| Shinjitai | 富国強兵 | ||||
| |||||
Fukoku kyōhei (富国強兵, "Enrich the Country, Strengthen theArmed Forces") wasJapan's nationalslogan during theMeiji period, replacing the slogansonnō jōi ("Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians"). It is ayojijukugo phrase, originally from the ancientChinese historical work on theWarring States period,Zhan Guo Ce.
During theWarring States period of China, theQin—through itslegalist policies—placed considerable focus on the enhancement of state wealth and military power, also known by the expressionFuguo Qiangbing.[1] This expression wasadopted in Meiji Japan asFukoku kyōhei in Japanese.[1]
The slogan was the central objective of theMeiji leaders.Fukoku kyōhei entailed the formulation of far-reaching policies to transform Japanese society in an all-out effort to catch up with the West. Although the government played a major role in providing the setting forindustrialization, destroying old institutions that proved obstacles to industrialization, and creating new institutions that would facilitate economic and political modernization, private enterprise also played a critical role in the distinctly Japanese combination of public and private sector effort, later criticized in the 1980s as "Japan Inc." This symbolized an emergingnationalism in Japan.
