Shūmei Ōkawa

Life

Shūmei Ōkawa, born on 6 December 1886 in Yamagata Prefecture, Japan, was a prominent nationalist, philosopher, and writer during the early Shōwa period. He studied at Tokyo Imperial University, graduating in 1911 with a degree in philosophy, specializing in Indian philosophy and Buddhism. In 1918, he co-founded the Yūzonsha, a nationalist society, with Ikki Kita. Ōkawa worked as a translator and researcher for the South Manchurian Railway Company from 1919 to 1932, producing extensive studies on Asian history and colonialism. He was arrested in 1931 for his role in the March Incident, a failed coup attempt, and again in 1936 for involvement in the February 26 Incident. After World War II, he was prosecuted as a Class-A war criminal at the Tokyo Trials in 1946 but was released due to mental health issues. Ōkawa died on 24 December 1957 in Tokyo.

People Who Influenced Their Thought

• Ikki Kita: Co-founder of the Yūzonsha, whose nationalist and pan-Asianist ideas shaped Ōkawa’s vision of Japan as a leader in Asia against Western imperialism.
• Okakura Kakuzō: His book The Book of Tea (1906) and advocacy for Asian cultural unity influenced Ōkawa’s pan-Asianist ideology.
• Swami Vivekananda: The Indian philosopher’s emphasis on spiritual revival and anti-colonialism inspired Ōkawa’s focus on Asian spiritual superiority over Western materialism.
• Hegel: The German philosopher’s dialectical view of history influenced Ōkawa’s belief in a historical clash between East and West, culminating in Japan’s ascendancy.

Main Ideas and Publications

Ōkawa’s ideology centered on Japanese nationalism, pan-Asianism, and the rejection of Western colonialism, advocating for Japan to lead Asia in a spiritual and political renaissance. His key works include:

• Fukko Ajia no Shomondai (1922): Argued for Asia’s liberation from Western colonial rule, promoting Japan as the leader of a unified Asian bloc.
• Nihon Oyobi Nihonjin no Michi (1926): Outlined Japan’s divine mission to restore its traditional values and lead a global cultural revival against Western materialism.
• An Introduction to Islam (1942): Reflected Ōkawa’s interest in Islamic anti-colonial movements, proposing alliances between Japan and Muslim nations to counter Western powers.

Ōkawa believed Japan’s unique spiritual heritage, rooted in Shinto and Buddhism, destined it to liberate Asia and challenge Western dominance. He supported military expansion, including the Manchurian Incident (1931), as a step toward Asian unity under Japanese leadership.

Controversies around His Main Work or Thought

Ōkawa’s advocacy for Japanese imperialism and his role in ultranationalist movements sparked significant controversy. His support for the March Incident and February 26 Incident led to accusations of inciting rebellion against the Japanese government, resulting in his 1931 and 1936 arrests. His pan-Asianist rhetoric, while anti-Western, was criticized for justifying Japan’s colonization of Korea and Manchuria, contradicting his anti-colonial stance. During the Tokyo Trials, prosecutors labeled him a key ideologue of Japan’s militarist expansion, though his mental breakdown in 1946 led to his release, raising debates about his accountability. Postwar scholars, such as Takeuchi Yoshimi in 1960, criticized Ōkawa’s ideas as a hypocritical blend of idealism and imperialist ambition, while others, like Nakamura Yūjirō, argue his pan-Asianism inspired later anti-colonial movements in Asia.

Key People Influenced by Their Thought

• Kita Ikki: While a collaborator, Kita was influenced by Ōkawa’s emphasis on Japan’s divine mission, integrating it into his own revolutionary nationalism.
• Kanji Ishiwara: A military officer who planned the Manchurian Incident, inspired by Ōkawa’s vision of Japan as Asia’s liberator.
• Yasue Norihiro: Adopted Ōkawa’s ideas on Islamic alliances, influencing Japan’s wartime policies toward Muslim populations.
• Subhas Chandra Bose: The Indian nationalist leader was influenced by Ōkawa’s pan-Asianist writings, collaborating with Japan during World War II to fight British colonialism.

Legacy

Shūmei Ōkawa’s blend of nationalism, pan-Asianism, and spiritual revivalism shaped Japan’s pre-war imperialist ideology, leaving a complex legacy as both an anti-colonial visionary and an enabler of Japanese militarism.