This is part 20 of my series on Shinto as a civil religion, you can find the rest of the series here.
So far, we have examined examples of top-down civil religion, where the Japanese government successfully propagated a national ideology. However, as seen in the discussions of kokugaku (national learning) and kokutai (national essence), the ideology the government spread was not new. It was an existing set of ideas that the government adopted and amplified. Because of this, we also find examples of bottom-up contributions to the spread of civil religion, where ordinary citizens played a role. The media is a particularly powerful example, and Tokutomi Soho (1863–1957) is a key figure to illustrate this point.
Tokutomi Soho was a journalist, historian, and publisher of several newspapers and magazines. In 1887, he established a printing company and began publishing the news magazine Kokumin no Tomo (The People’s Friend). Throughout his career, he also published Katei Zasshi (Home Journal), Kokumin Shinbun (The People’s Newspaper), and the English-language version of Kokumin no Tomo. Among these, Kokumin no Tomo and Kokumin Shinbun were especially influential.
Early Career and Western Influence
Early in his career, Soho was heavily influenced by Western ideas about modern nation-states. He advocated for citizens’ rights and emphasized the importance of maintaining peace between nations. However, his views shifted dramatically following The Triple Intervention in 1895, when Russia, Germany, and France pressured Japan into returning the Liaodong Peninsula to China after Japan’s victory in the First Sino-Japanese War.
Shift Toward Imperialism and Militarism
Like many Japanese people, Soho found the forced relinquishment of territory bitter and humiliating. This event deeply altered his perception of the West, leading him to adopt a more imperialist and militaristic outlook. These views began to influence the articles he wrote and published in his newspapers and magazines, which played a significant role in spreading these ideologies to the Japanese public.
In the following analysis, I will examine some of Soho’s writings to show how his shift in perspective contributed to the spread of civil religion. His work demonstrates how the media could serve as a tool for disseminating nationalistic and imperialistic ideas, reinforcing the broader civil religion promoted by the government while also reflecting the sentiments of the public.
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Sources
Theodore De Bary, William(ed.). Sources of Japanese Tradition: Volume Two 1600-2000. Colombia University Press: New York, 2005. Print. Pp. 1149-1151, 1156-1157.
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