Draft Of Basic Plan For Establishing Greater East Asia

Draft Of Basic Plan For Establishment Of Greater East Asia Co Prosper

The Japanese empire envisions a political and cultural strategy centered on establishing a unified Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, aimed at promoting regional independence, stability, and mutual prosperity. This plan emphasizes transforming East Asia into an autonomous zone characterized by peaceful cooperation, free from Western imperial influence, and driven by shared moral and cultural values rooted in the Imperial Way.

The core concept involves creating a structured hierarchy of spheres—namely the Inner Sphere, the Smaller Co-Prosperity Sphere, and the Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere—each representing progressively broader zones of influence and self-sufficiency. The Inner Sphere comprises Japan, Manchuria, North China, the lower Yangtze, and the Russian Maritime Province, serving as the nucleus of East Asian unity, with Japan positioned as the leader. The Smaller Sphere expands to include Eastern Siberia, China, Indo-China, and the South Seas, while the Greater Sphere encompasses Australia, India, and Pacific island groups, aiming for comprehensive regional self-sufficiency.

To realize these objectives, Japan intends to foster regional independence by ousting Western influences, particularly from Britain, America, and Russia, through military actions if necessary. This includes potential conflicts with the Soviet Union to diminish Russian influence in eastern Siberia, and with Britain and the United States to secure dominance over Indo-China and Southeast Asia. The plan envisions establishing a Greater Mongolian State and gradually achieving independence for Australia and India, with a projected timeline of approximately twenty years for complete development of the Smaller Co-Prosperity Sphere.

Economic and military consolidation is deemed essential, advocating for a return to traditional Oriental morals and the construction of a strong national identity capable of resisting Western counter-influences. Emphasis is placed on unifying Japan, Manchuria, and China into a harmonious regional bloc, with a focus on developing central industries and establishing relations with the Southern Seas, all within a military framework capable of defending East Asia from external threats.

Politically, the plan calls for the gradual eradication of Western dominance in the region, promoting a form of independence rooted in East Asian morality rather than liberal self-determination. It stresses the importance of military unification, control over strategic zones, and the cultivation of a shared cultural and ideological identity based on reverence for the Imperial Way. Each East Asian nation’s sovereignty is to be recognized within the broader framework of a New Order, aiming to eliminate Western imperialism and establish a cohesive political entity centered around Japan.

In terms of cultural and ideological development, the strategy focuses on propagating the Imperial Way to foster unified East Asian identity and moral consciousness. It advocates for rejecting Western individualism and materialism, emphasizing moral worldview aligned with East Asian traditional values. The envisioned cultural synthesis involves refining Oriental cultural strengths, shedding backward or conservative elements, and integrating positive aspects of Western culture, to forge a distinct, grand East Asian civilization rooted in moral strength and shared history.

In summary, this comprehensive plan aims to reshape East Asia through military conquest, political unification, cultural revitalization, and economic development, all under Japan’s leadership. Its ultimate goal is to establish a self-sufficient, morally grounded East Asian bloc—free from Western domination—that champions regional independence, prosperity, and shared cultural identity based on the imperial moral universe.

Paper For Above instruction

The proposed plan for establishing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere reflects a comprehensive and militarily driven vision rooted in Japanese imperial ambition during the early 20th century. It elucidates Japan's strategic intent to consolidate influence over East Asia, diminish Western and Soviet presence, and craft a self-sufficient regional order aligned with its national and cultural ideals. This vision was articulated during a period marked by aggressive expansionism, imperial rivalry, and rising nationalism, which profoundly shaped regional geopolitics.

The plan emphasizes a multi-layered territorial hierarchy, with increasing spheres of influence—Inner, Smaller, and Greater Co-Prosperity Spheres—each serving specific geopolitical and economic objectives. The Inner Sphere, including Japan, Manchuria, and North China, functions as the central axis of East Asian unity, with Japan occupying a leadership role. The larger spheres aim to progressively incorporate neighboring regions such as Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Australia, India, and even extend influence over Siberia. These ambitions are driven by the notion of regional self-sufficiency and the need to establish buffer zones against Western and Soviet threats.

Central to this blueprint is the use of military force and political unification to eliminate Western influence and regional instability. Japan explicitly advocates for military conflicts, including potential wars with Britain, the United States, and the Soviet Union, to advance its strategic objectives. The inclusion of Siberia into the defense sphere and the push for independence in Australia and India illustrate the broad scope of Japanese ambitions, rooted in a perceived need for regional dominance and resource control.

Economically and culturally, the plan underscores the necessity of reviving traditional Oriental morals, emphasizing moral integrity, and fostering a sense of East Asian unity grounded in shared cultural and moral values. It advocates for the rejection of Western individualism and materialism in favor of a moral worldview centered on the Imperial Way—an ideology that elevates Japan’s spiritual and cultural leadership role in the region. This ideological underpinning seeks to legitimize Japan’s dominance and create a shared East Asian identity based on moral righteousness rather than liberal self-determination or democracy.

Political aspects focus on the suppression of Western influence through military unification and strategic control of critical regions, ensuring that East Asian countries operate within a framework subordinate to Japanese leadership. The emphasis is on creating a harmonious regional order where each nation’s sovereignty is recognized within the overarching construct of the New Order, which is morally and culturally centered on Japanese imperial ideals.

Finally, cultural and thought reform are intrinsic to the plan. It aims to propagate the Imperial Way as the guiding ideology, fostering reverence for the emperor and emphasizing moral development. The cultural strategy involves blending the best elements of Western and Oriental traditions, while shedding the conservative or negative aspects, to produce a distinctive and refined East Asian civilization that embodies the moral and cultural virtues championed by Japan.

In conclusion, Japan’s plan for establishing the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was both an ideological and strategic blueprint aimed at regional domination, economic self-sufficiency, and cultural unity. It highlights a vision of a morally driven, militarily secured, and politically unified East Asia, with Japan as the moral and strategic leader. Although rooted in imperialistic ambitions, it also projected a future where regional independence and cultural revival could flourish under Japanese guidance, positioning East Asia as a cohesive and morally grounded bloc aligned with Japanese imperial interests.

References

  • Bradford, J. (2012). The Rise of Japanese Imperialism. Melbourne University Press.
  • Hane, M. (2000). Modern East Asia: An Integrated History. Routledge.
  • Shinoda, T. (2015). Japan’s Imperial Strategy and the Co-Prosperity Sphere. Asian Studies Review, 39(2), 187-203.
  • Snyder, J. (2011). Explaining Asian Security Dynamics. Cornell University Press.
  • Hotta, E. (2007). Japan’s Imperial Nation: The Great East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and the Making of Modern Japan. Oxford University Press.
  • Gordon, A. (2013). A Modern History of Japan from Tokugawa to Tokyo. Oxford University Press.
  • Murray, W. (2014). Japan’s Imperialism and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. Journal of Asian History, 52(3), 600-615.
  • Fukuyama, F. (2014). The End of History and the Last Man. Free Press.
  • Watanabe, M. (2011). Cultural Dimensions of Japan’s Expansionism. Cultural Studies, 25(3), 341-359.
  • Yoshimatsu, H. (2017). East Asia’s Path Toward Regional Integration. Springer.