<Article>The Development of the Toho-Kai (東方会)

Nagai Kazu

doi:10.14989/shirin_62_98

The Toho-Kai was one of the Japanese nationalist parties in the 30's. The principal aim of this article is to examine the movement of the party from 1937 to 1941. It was founded in 1936 by several members of the Diet who had belonged to the progressive group of the Minsei-To (民政党) in the 20's. In the period of the 'Manchurian cricis' they broke away from it and came to advocate social-natoinalism instead of their former parliamentalism. Stimulated by the military revolt in Feb. 1936, they formed a small party. They were also much influencd by European fascism, especially by the Nazis. Under the Sino-Japanese War Toho-kai asserted that it was the 'sacred mission' of Japan to 'liberate' China from European imperialism and set up 'New Order' in the West Asia. It inspired anti-British feeling into the people and called enthusiastically for the military alliance with Germany and Italy. After the outbreak of the War in Europe, it came to demand occupying Indo-China and Indonesia and sought to mobilize public opinion to put pressure upon the government. Through a series of the chauvinistic movements Toho-Kai grew into the one of the largest parties in the Right wing. There was another factor in this development. It was the inflow of many 'converts' into the party from proletarian movements after the 'Jinmin-Sensen Incident'(人民戦線事件), the suppression to Japanese anti-fascism movements. It was characteristic of Toho-Kai holding many former leftists in its members. In Feb. 1939 it attempted to unite with 'Shakai-Taishu To' (社会大衆党) , the only remaining socialist party under the Sino-Japanese war. Though this attempt ended in failure, it indicated that Toho-Kai made it its tactics to absorb socialists who were in confusion and disorder in the war time.

<Article>The Development of the Toho-Kai (東方会)

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