Ethnic nationalism in Japan (Japanese:民族主義,Hepburn:minzoku shugi)[a] orminzoku nationalism[1] meansnationalism that emerges from Japan's dominantYamato people orethnic minorities.
In present-day Japan statistics only counts their population in terms ofnationality, rather thanethnicity, thus the number of ethnic Yamato and their actual population numbers are ambiguous.[2]
"Japanese ethnic nationalism" (Japanese:日本民族主義,Hepburn:nihon minzoku shugi) is related tominzoku (民族), the Japanese word that translates to "people", "ethnic group", and "nation".Minzoku does not originally mean "race" in the general sense, andjinshu (人種) means "race", but someJapanese nationalists also useminzoku in a closer sense to "race";Taro Aso,Yasuhiro Nakasone has called Japan a "one race" or "oneminzoku".[3][4][5] Prominent Japanese politicians have often kindled controversies by invoking the images of Japaneseracial superiority.[6]
Minzoku-ha (民族派, lit. "ethnic nationalist group") is a Japanese ethno-nationalist faction that emerged afterpostwar Japan.Minzoku-ha is considered to be thecategories ofUyoku dantai.
Nihonjinron (日本人論:treatises onJapaneseness) is a genre of historical and literary work that focuses on issues ofJapanese national andcultural identity.
"Yamato nationalism" (Japanese:大和民族主義,Hepburn:yamato minzoku shugi) is an based on "Yamato people" (大和民族,yamato minzoku; literally "Yamato ethnicity" or "Yamato race"),[7] the dominant population group in Japan.
During theEmpire of Japan, Yamato nationalism is inspired most Japanese soldiers and civilians at the time and madeJapanese people feel racially superior to theChinese people.[8] Today, Yamato nationalism is deeply linked to xenophobic sentiment toward minority races/ethnic groups; due to the influence of Yamato nationalism,Zainichi Koreans who moved to Empire of Japan forcibly or voluntarily during thecolonial Korea period and lived in Japan were not granted "citizenship" (国籍,kokuseki, lit: nationality) even after 1945.[9]
"Ainu nationalism" (Japanese: アイヌ民族主義 or アイヌナショナリズム) is a means of assertingAinu rights over ancestral land and today has been adopted as the favored term forHokkaido.[10]
TheAinu Party (アイヌ民族党, lit. "Ethnic Ainu Party" or "Ainu Nationals Party") is a political party that represents Ainu rights in Japan; it advocates Ainu "nationalism" (民族主義) and "multiculturalism" (多文化主義). Ainu Party supports post-nuclear, designating Ainu as anofficial language, and opposition to theTrans-Pacific Partnership.[11]
The Ainu Revolution Theory was a left-wing political concept in 1970s Japan, notably advanced by thinkerOta Ryu. It posited that the Ainu people, perceived as living in a primitive communist system, could spearhead a proletarian revolution.[12]
"Okinawan nationalism" (Japanese: 沖縄民族主義 or 沖縄ナショナリズム) claims theRyukyuan people' own identity, also called "Okinawan people". Okinawan nationalism started when theEmpire of Japan opposed the destruction ofRyukyu Kingdom andincorporation into its territory. Therefore, while Okinawan nationalism is deeply linked to theRyukyu nationalism. However, not all Okinawan nationalists are Ryukyu nationalists; Ryukyu nationalists refer to separatists from Japan, but some Okinawan nationalists value regional rights within Japan.
Modern Okinawa nationalism often manifests itself through negative views ofMarine Corps Air Station Futenma bases on the Ryukyu Islands. It is also often manifested by localleftists who oppose Japanese nationalism.[13]
All Okinawa [ja] is a representative nationalist organization that requests the demolition of MCAS Futenma.
The Ryukyu independence movement reflects ethnic tensions in Japan, with some Ryukyuans seeking sovereignty due to historical annexation and U.S. military presence, though most prefer autonomy over full independence.
ThrEmpire of Japan hadKorea,Taiwan, andother colonies. In the colonies, there were anti-colonial nationalists who argued for "national self-determination" (Japanese:民族自決) against Japanese imperialism.
Early "Korean [ethnic] nationalism" (Japanese: 朝鮮民族主義,Korean: 조선민족주의) emerged in the form of "resistance nationalism" (Korean: 저항적 민족주의).
Traditionally, the concept of Japanese ethnic nationalism "blood" was emphasized. This form of nationalism was dominant in Empire of Japan and also influencedKorean ethnic nationalism.[14][15]
Some Korean nationalists, such asYi Gwangsu andChoe Nam-seon, insisted on "theory of self-governance" (Japanese: 自治論, Korean: 자치론) rather than independence from Japan. They were criticized aspro-Japanese collaborators by radical nationalists who supported independence at the time.
Invading China through theSecond Sino-Japanese War, the Empire of Japan established a puppet state calledManchukuo. They promoted "Manchurian nationalism" (Japanese: 満州族民族主義,Chinese: 滿族民族主義) in theManchuria.
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During the Taiwan under Japan rule, the "Taiwanese nationalism" (Japanese: 台湾民族主義, Chinese: 臺灣民族主義) was stimulated to some extent. However, Taiwanese identities were more complicated at the time, with some campaigning for independence based on Taiwanese nationalism, while others opposed Japanese rule usingChinese nationalism and identity, desiring re-annexation back to China. This identity is reflected by theTaiwanese People's Party, whose platform adopted theThree Principles of the People, and along with it Chinese nationalism andKuomintang-style socialism.[16]
Mao Zedong was an early supporter of Taiwanese independence, tellingEdgar Snow in the 1930s that the Chinese Communist Party would lend "our enthusiastic help in their struggle for independence." He changed this position only after the Nationalists started claiming Taiwan with theCairo Declaration.[17] TheTaiwanese Communist Party also emphasized "Taiwanese nation" (臺灣民族) rather than "Chinese nation" (中華民族).Taiwanese identity favouring separation from China was strengthened by theFebruary 28 incident that took place underKuomintang after the end of Japanese colonial rule.
Despite its history of colonial rule,Taiwan's anti-Japanese sentiment today is known to be significantly lower than that of Korea, because Empire of Japan guaranteed Taiwan relatively more autonomy compared to Korea.[18]
The Taiwanese Cultural Association, founded in 1921 byChiang Wei-shui andLin Hsien-tang during Japanese rule, aimed to promote Taiwanese national consciousness and progressive ideas. It engaged in cultural activism through publications and public lectures, fostering a strong sense of identity. However, political repression by Japanese authorities and internal conflicts between moderate and socialist factions led to its dissolution in 1931.
... minzoku nationalism rested on the twin pillars of 'blood and soil' and 'proper place'.
... Yamato minzoku sometimes is translated as the "Yamato race."
Yamato nationalism that inspired most Japanese soldiers and civilians at the time and made them feel racially superior to the Chinese.
In Japan, the Yamato race is so important that even ethnic Koreans living there for generations can't get citizenship and there's no immigration despite a contracting population.
... Japanese ethnic nationalism such as nationalism based on the ideology of "blood," and the imperial expansion of the state for economic and political gain.
... Japanese ethnic nationalism is illuminating in comprehending the Korean politics of national identity.
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