Module 1 Japanese class

Definition of the Nanshin’ron or Nanshin?

The South Seas Policy — the Imperial Japanese strategy to send people over

What is the Nan’yo kyokai

Organizations dedicated to the South Seas initiative

Definition of the Nan’yo?

• This was the REGION, it’s just a place (the South Seas); people broadly associated Nan’yo with “Place to make money, to save” 

• People MOVED to the Nan’yo as an economic consideration 

What was the relationship of the the Nan’yo to the Nanshin?

• when the military created “Nanshin” as a strategic policy, migration to the “Nan’yo” became a thrust under Nanshin

  • This was despite the Japanese civilians not even consenting to this

Who were the “shishi”

Japanese ultra-nationalists who supported Aguinaldo’s bid for independence

What was the Karayuki-San?

Prostitutes; literally people who were “Going to China”

Who were the Wako’s

Japanese priates

Describe the Japanese relationship with the Filipinos before disconnection

Largely based in trade; some Japanese presence in the Philippines but very small

What did the Japanese tend to trade with the Philippines at the time of the Spanish

silk, cutlery, armor, spears, pears, salted fish, etc.

Where did the Japanese tend to congregate in Manila?

Dilao district

What factors led to the Japanese being less discriminated against vis a vis the Chinese?

1) The concept was that they were more “industrious.”

2) The Chinese were just larger in population —> Seen as a threat

3) The Japanese “Fighting spirit” caused respect

How were the Japanese treated by the Spanish pre the closing off of Japan?

Outsiders; not colonial elites and as such the Spanish were restrictive of them

Please narrate why the Japanese decided to close themselves off to the Philippines

• A ginormous amount of events eventually lead to the isolation of Japan, which in turn severed Japanese ties to the PH (the 3000-4000 diaspora likely just got assimilated, and repressed by Spanish authorities) 

  • San Felipe (a galleon) crashing into Japan, and its crew executed and cargo seized by the Japanese

    • The Spanish confessing “We colonized by sending missionaries” to the authorities 

  • Tokugawa Iyeyasu courted technology from the Spanish, but eventually got it from the Dutch nalang. This destroyed any reason for them to 

  • A samurai revolt over taxes, but done by Christian samurai, caused the outlawing of Christianity and the period of Japanese isolation

Why did Japan trade with the Philippine during the late Spanish period

• Ehhhh wala they needed money 

• At the time, they needed access to Philippine natural resources

Why was the Nanyo started post the reopening of Japan

• 1) To accommodate a rising population

• 2) Japan needed more raw materials and food

• 3) Japan believed this was preventative self defense

• 4) A “Little brown brother” mentality

Compare Japanese to Chinese commercial networks

• Chinese 

  • Had more stable, large communities with more economic clout

  • Operated in kinship → Hence there was a huge attempt to do things 

• The Japanese attempted to compete

  • Were more non-pretentious and attempted to undercut in Sari-Sari stores

  • They were fewer, more technically skilled, but “more politically consequential.”

    • Largely because the Japanese were seen as more willing to assist the revolutionaries 

    • Japan just had its shit together more at the time

When was the Japanese consulate open?

Dec 29, 1888; right before the Americans took over

Why did Filipino revolutionaries expect so much from the Japanese

• The Filipinos looked to them as a model of modernity since obviously, they were the only “Modern” state in Asia

• Had a victory over China in 1895

• Tbf naman the Filipinos deadass were led on

Why did the Japanese evenutally support American rule

• Japan preferred the US over Europe

  • Due largely to a large colonial push by Germany

• The US was the least threatening great power to Japan (at the time)

  • Why? Because Japan had territorial disputes with the other German states

• American rule also promised greater stability and not rivalry

  • The Americans set up a stable government eh

  • Also, because the US allowed Japan to expand economically without political confrontation 

• International legitimacy

  • Wanted to look like they were willing to abide by international law

How did the Americans

• Predictable legal and administrative environment

  • There were clear property rights, contract enforcement and commercial regulations

    • Kasi with the Spanish you feared for your safety

  • There was also diplomatic neutrality at the time

    • The US, at the time, perceived them more as foreign civilians, not agents of an empire in waiting 

What was the nature of the relationship between Filipinos and Japanese immigrants?

Mostly transactional, didn’t grow very close

Why didn’t everyday closeness lead to political unity between Filipino and Japanese immigrants

• Colonial political boundaries were very rigid

• Japanese immigrants also remaind socially distinct and very communally insulated 

• Economic intimacy coexisted with social distance

  • Uneven integration produced a very fragile balance: They had cooperation without full trust, and familiarity without deep social incorporation

• Racial and cultural hierarchies limited trust

  • Broadly, they were just deprived of rights and felt excluded based on that

  • US colonial discourse portrayed Japan as economically threatening and a political suspect

  • The Japanese believed they were superior to everyone else

  • The Filipinos believed they were “Europeanized” naman and were thus the best

Name of the ship where Japanese sailors met with KKK leaders?

The Kongo

Name of the shop where the Filipino resistance met the Japanese?

The Nippon Bazaar

Name of the road in Benguet the Japanese were asked to build?

Kennon road.

Describe the “Civilian-military blur” of the Japanese during this time

• The Japanese were turned into informal military assets

  • They were influenced into espionage

• Military personnel disguised as civilians

  • Some Japanese military personnel operated under civilian identities in the prewar Philippines

  • Use of assumed names and commercial fronts

• Community leaders as information brokers (not spies): What role did Japanese associations play in coordination of info between civilians and the military?

  • Leaders naman were invited to talk to give political/econoomic information

How did economic Philippine nationalism restrict Japanese capabilities to influence the Philippines

• Restrictions on land ownership, fishing and mining

• Anti-Dummy laws which prevented foreigners from using Filipino names to bypass restrictions

• Immigration limits (1940): directly affected Japanese migration

  • These weren’t necessary anti-Japanese, but did dramatically harm Japanese businesses, especially in Davao

Besides Davao, where else did the Japanese go to after building the Benguet road?

Trinidad valley, Fort Mckinley in Rizal, Paco Manila

Describe how the Filipinos saw the Japanese

• They were good

  • They were independent

  • Seens as industrious and hardy -> Because they were immigrants, they mostly sent it home

  • See as paying attention to etiquette

• But they didn’t intermarry and were seen as aloof; broadly saw themselves as “Superior”

  •  Broadly tried to adhere to own customs and traditions, and only learned of Filipino culture insofar as it was good for business

Describe how the Japanese viewed the Karayuki-san

• Consulate officials refused to try to take care of them because of the bad reputation this gave Japan

Describe the reasons why Japanese broadly went to the Philipines

• Particularly through the beginning of the 20th century, when they faced an economic crisis

• AND to avoid the military draft

• AND for Japanese from other places (Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia) it was a stopover point going to Australia (so it basically became a hub) 

Describe how women were turned into karayuki san

• Often, women were victims of kidnapping (they were given false promises of becoming nursemaids, househelp, etc. in the Philippines) 

• There were vested interests from

  • The kidnappers (who made money off the girls) 

  • Ship captains (who made money smuggling them in) 

  • The local economy (Businesses tended to flourish in these areas) 

  • The economy of the girl back home (Who got their remittances)

What industry did the Japanese largely monopolize in Davao?

• Most worked in Manila hemp, and were quite successful at it 

  • During Feb 1935, they held 57,350 hectares in Davao with 80% of hemp, 50% of copra and all lumber produced being their doing

What was the nature of Japanese spy networks in the Philippines

• Some questions on if they were actually spies lmao

  • Several high-ranking Japanese officials worked in the PH. Morita Noboru (reserve rear admiral) went tothe Philippines to frequent Nippon Bazaar

• More apparent than spies were just leaders of Japanese communities in the PH

  • They provided economic, political and military news to the Japanese, often through conferences

Why did Japan dislike PH economic nationalism? What was their response

• Broadly, the Japanese disliked PH economic nationalism (and general policies made to allow the Philippines to stand on its own feet), while supporting PH independence

  • Why?

    • Because it wanted to keep the PH dependent on Japan economy for exports + labor. It wanted both to stop free trade with America, and to bilaterally negotiate free trade with the Philippines 

  • Their response

    • 1) Invest in manufacturing in the PH to avoid tariffs

      • Ex. Asahi beer manufacturing was set up by Osaka Bazaar

    • 2) Using dummy companies

      • The Public Land Act disallowed foreign ownership of land. The Japanese set up dummy companies with fake Filipino owners

        • In response, the Philippines made sub-leasing of lands to Japanese by Filipinos illegal

      • Eventually, Manuel Quezon acceded naman.