Review: Japan Unmasked.

Japan Unmasked. by Ichiro Kawasaki
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

In 1891, Emperor Meiji published his famous Rescript on Education which laid emphasis on absolute devotion of the Japanese people to the cause of the nation, and which was instrumental in orienting school education toward intense nationalism. The Ministry of Education ordered each school to preserve a portrait of the Emperor and a copy of the Rescript on Education; the national anthem was to be sung on all national holidays. The unveiling of the Emperor's portrait and the recitation of the Rescript on Education became the compulsory ceremonies on many important occasions. I remember when I was a boy a fire broke out in an elementary school near where I lived. The headmaster of the school plunged into the flaming building to save the portrait of the Emperor, but was too late and perished in the flames. This incident was heralded at the time as a patriotic act of the highest order. In this way nationalism began to possess a religious fervor and the nation was dedicated more than ever toward making Japan one of the strongest powers of the world.

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