Which country did Japan invade? - Japan invaded European - controlled areas - Asian liberation and colonial policy.

Photo by Frans Mendur (licensed under CC0 1.0)

Japan invaded Western territory

When considering the aspects of Japan's war of aggression, first of all, the Korean Peninsula was made an independent state by the Treaty of Shimonoseki and was annexed by the Treaty of Annexation, so it is not included in the invasion. Taiwan was also formally ceded under the Treaty of Shimonoseki, so it was not included in the invasion. Southeast Asian countries are already Western colonies and do not have administrative powers. To be honest, Japan invaded Britain, the Netherlands, France, Portugal, and the United States. Would you call this an invasion of Asia? Viewed in this way, if China had dared to invade, it would have been China that was barely maintaining its administrative power.

Japanese governance differs from Western colonial policy

Now, regarding what Japan's purpose was, if we say that Japan is no different from Western colonies in terms of increasing its national power through colonial rule, the reality is different. Japan did not adopt racist policies and developed laws, and eventually Southeast Asian countries grew to the point where they were able to fight against whites and protect their own countries on their own. War operations are meaningless unless they are linked to national interests. So these things are always related to Japan's national interests.

Became the world's leading group 51 years after the Meiji Restoration

Historically speaking, Japan was isolated from the rest of the world until the Meiji Restoration. It took only ２７ years from the establishment of the new government to its victory over the Qing Dynasty, which was said to be a world power. It would be ３７ years until Japan again defeated Russia, which was said to be a world power. Next, it was in １９１９ that Japan won World War I and became a permanent member of the League of Nations, so Japan isolated itself from developing countries that had never seen a steam engine, and only ５１ In ２０１９, I will be sitting on a chair at the table at the center of the world. Japan proposed the ''Racism Discrimination Elimination Bill.''

The approaching white colonial policy

There is probably no one who has not seen the vast area called Asia on a map. On top of that, over a long period of ４００ years, the white maritime nation colonized Asian countries one after another. Japan is an island nation floating on the farthest east coast. Japan's opening to the world was related to this movement of white people. The colonization of the vast area of Asia was already approaching Japan.

Asia, where there was no country to hold back

Japan's Restoration and opening of the country, as well as the energy of the industrial revolution and modernization, were explosively generated during these global movements. If one country or one ethnic group in such a vast region of Asia, where so many ethnic groups live, were to unite and confront the white countries, the white people would never come to such a farthest island nation. It would be a good thing if there was even one country that could stop the invasion of white people, but unfortunately there was not a single country in Asia like that.

Expansion of the Meiji Restoration and security system

The main focus of Japan's colonial policy in Asia is to build a collective security system for people of color in Asia and to spread the results of Japan's Restoration to Asia. This is clearly stated in the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration, which is signed by the participating leaders from each country. If we look at history from a myopic perspective, we will not be able to understand this era.

This may seem obvious, but no matter how many times you hear about former comfort women or visit coal mine sites, you will never understand this era.