JAPANESE IMPERIALISM

In historical terms, the Japanese

occupation maybe considered a
conjuncture, in the sense that it lasted
for a very short period of 3 years…

…. not sufficient for the Japanese to

stabilize a system that could have a
lasting impact as those of the
Spaniards and the Americans
 However, the devastation that the
Japanese occupation brought about
and the dismantling of the social
structures of pre-war years…

 generated a new kind of politics in

the Post-war period.
 ASIA FOR ASIANS
( Anti-White Policy)
The Japanese exhorted the Filipinos
to disregard western influences
particularly the American culture.

Filipinos were encouraged to develop

indigenous culture based on pre-
colonial past.
 ASIA FOR ASIANS
( Anti-White Policy)

Filipinos were encouraged to

use national language instead
of English
Why a return to Asian culture?
• To please the Filipinos

• To belie western claims to cultural

superiority

• To open the way for the inculcation of

Japanese culture so as to facilitate the
integration of the occupied countries
into the Japanese empire
 THE
JAPANESE IMPERIALIST
PROGRAM
 Reasons behind
Main Colonial Policy Colonization

Anti-White Policy • To expand its

( Asia for Asians) market and
investments for
the completion of
Japanese
industrialization
 Reasons behind
Main Colonial Policy Colonization

Anti-White Policy • In search of new

( Asia for Asians) territories as
suppliers and
producers of
cheap source
raw materials
( cotton, copper, castor oil)
 Reasons behind
Main Colonial Policy Colonization

Anti-White Policy • To expand

( Asia for Asians) Japanese
hegemony
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Appealed to Filipino Nationalism and

encouraged its cultural expression

• Enlisted the support of US-trained

Filipino political leaders to head the
puppet government organized by the
Japanese
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction
In Implementation of their declared policy of encouraging a
“new nationalism”, the Japanese stipulated that the lyrics be in
Tagalog. The choice was “Awit sa Paglikha ng Bagong Pilipinas”
by Catalino Dionisio. The music was composed by Felipe Padilla
de Leon.

Renaming of Streets:
*Dewey Boulevard- Roxas Boulevard- Heiwa(peace)
*Taft Avenue- Daitoa(Greater East Asia)
*Harrison Boulevard- Koa(rising sun)
*Jones Bridge-Banzai
*Harrison park- Rizal park
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Promised the colonies of the US

mutually beneficial economic
relations with Japan via the
Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity
Sphere ( GEACPS)
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Promised independence as
long as the Filipinos agreed to
be a member of the
GEACPS
Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere
-capturing new markets, source of
new materials.
 Mickey Mouse Money

The Japanese Military Administration had paper money of its own.

This the Filipino called Mickey mouse money. Each passing month, the
occupation notes became more and more valueless. By the middle of
1944, it took a sackful of money to buy a family’s food for one day.
-Paper and ink
-toy money lacking serial numbers and any sign that
it was backed up with silver or gold.
*gurami-small fishes so plentiful it had little worth
*apa- sweet wafer for ice cream cone
As Mickey Mouse money lost value, Filipinos resorted to barter.
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Reorganization of the Government

> had changed the National Government into
Central Administrative Organization

> had seen to it that in each department or

government offices, there is a Japanese
adviser and assistance advisers assigned
who acted as spies
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Reorientation of the Educational

System
> to create a friendly atmosphere and erase
western cultural influence among
Filipinos
> prioritized elementary and vocational
courses and disseminated principles of
GEACPS
 School: Educational Thrusts

The Japanese tried to use education as a vehicle for the

long-range objectives of their colonization program.
-they too had their Thomasites. University and college
professors arrived soon after the invasion to act mentors
to Filipino scholars and scientists. The real goal: attempts
to make Filipinos assimilate Japanese cultures.
-all American and other enemy nationals –related data
are deleted on textbooks use in the school
-Niponggo was a compulsory subject.
The Japanese keep full control and close
supervision of the school’s policy.
 Educational
program was not a
success:

*enrollment at all
levels was much lower
than pre-war

*attendance was
very irregular

*teachers who
remained loyal to the US
and fully expected her
return
implemented Japan
educational policies half-
heartedly.
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Attraction

• Had dangled independence

> will grant Filipinos independence as long
as we cooperate and recognize Japanese
program of establishing GEACPS
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Repression

• Declared Martial Rule or Law

> where the Japanese military down to the
last private soldier became supreme

> civil liberties were suppressed and

human rights were violated
• Kempeitai (Japanese Military Police)
– Those who were taken from their homes or
arrested and detained for indefinite periods
without charges being filed against them.
 Military Abuses
.) Slightest offense- slapping of civilians (felt the
degradation more than the pain)
2.) cases of rape
3.) soldiers often confiscated personal belongings
they fancied
4.) Unfortunates were tied to post or made to knell
under the sun and subjected to beatings
5.) The torture in Fort Santiago
6.) Graft among officers (take form of personal gifts
and entertainment)
*officers would facilitate issuance of permit on
the transportation of prohibited item
*arrange release of prisoners
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Repression

• Asserted control over various

social institutions that most
influenced the Filipinos’ minds
( family, school, media and church )
 Media: Nippon-controlled press

• Newspapers were immediately closed

• Newspapers: Tagalog Taliba, Spanish La Vanguadia, English Tribune
(rigid censorship)

• American owned publications: Manila Daily Bulletin and Philippine

Free press were closed throughout Japanese occupation.
• 1942-Liwayway was allowed to circulate

• All radio stations were also under military control( licensed)

• All other means of communication were similarly supervised by the
military.

Thus, what the people read and what they heard were all pre-
censored and most of the major items were clearly Japanese war
propaganda.
Japanese Newspapers:
*Manila Sinbun-sya,
*Tokyo nichi nichi
*Shinseiki (Bagong araw or New Era)
*Filipina,
*Philippine Review
*Pillars

Specifically, the military used the press and

radio to disseminate its orders, announcements,
and warnings, to glorify the Japanese state and
the culture of its people, and to convince the
Filipinos that the Japanese were winning the war.

The newspapers did not reflect reality, thus

had no credibility. Filipinos also learned a new
way of reading the papers: To get at the truth,
simply reverse what you read.
 Church: The Regime and the
Religious
1. The Japanese sought to bring under control one of the biggest and
most powerful institutions in the country: the Catholic Church.

2. The second thrust of Japanese policy towards religion was directed at

limiting the social and educational influence of the church and
supervising its religious function s so that the pulpit could be used to
advanced Japanese objectives. (By 1943, parish priests were being
required to use their pulpit to convince the people that it was useless
to resist Japanese rule.

3. The third thrust in the area of religion was an attempt to attract Filipino
by seeming to turn their old nationalist demands
*Filipinization of the clergy
*72nd anniversary of the execution of GomBurZa- reminded
newspaper readers of the cause for which they had suffered
martyrdom.
 INSTRUMENTS OF PACIFICATION
Policy of Repression

• Re-educated the bureaucracy

and police force

• Established new institutions –

KALIBAPI and Neighborhood
Association
Neighborhood Associations
1942- defined as a group of five
to ten families living in contiguous
areas who were actually spies.
 The KaLiBaPi- Kapisanan sa
Paglilingkod sa Bagong Pilipinas

Japanese prefer to established only one

organization to which virtually all the citizens
must belong and which functions as one more
instrument for control and indoctrination.
required the dissolution of existing political parties
and civic organizations prior to its establishment.
“no person can be employed in the
government and any of its institutions unless he
is a member.”
President- Jorge Vargas
Director-general – Benigno Aquino Sr.

Junior Kalibapi
-should promise of usefulness and service to the
New Philippines.
7-15 – Kabataang Maghanda
16-18 – Kabataang Katulong
 Life under Japanese Occupation
- Shortages on food, medicine and
clothing
- Strict rationing for fuel
- Confiscation and surrender of fire
arms. Those who were caught with
fire arms in their possession were
detained at Fort Santiago; many
were tortured and later executed.
 Life under Japanese Occupation
- Inflation sent the costs of
everything spiraling up.
- Curfew was imposed. The facilitated
control of the movement of the
people and was an effective means
of regimentation.
Curfew hours: 8:00pm-6:00am
10:00pm-6:00am
12:00mn-6:00am
 EFFECTS
OF
JAPANESE
OCCUPATION
• Limited economic activities
because trade and commerce
suffered setbacks
> Agricultural production slowed down
> Haciendas remained idle (rice production
sank low )
• Boom in BUY and SELL
Business
> Rich families sold their possessions in
exchange for rice

> Farmers choose to enter into this business

rather than tend their farms
• Japanese brutalities became
deeply etched into the minds
of the Filipinos and FORGOT
the brutalities unleashed by
the Americans at the
beginning of their rule
> due to long years of American colonial
education and tutelage of the Filipinos
Prepared by:
Asso.Prof. OLIVA BORJA PARICO
Department of Social Sciences
CLSU