Part 22: Draft of Basic Plan for Establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Banner for Part 23 Draft of Basic Plan for Establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity-Sphere

This is part 22 of my series on Shinto as a civil religion, you can find the rest of the series here.

After World War II, Tokutomi Soho was arrested as a Class-A war criminal for his role in promoting support for the war. Although he spent two years under house arrest, he was ultimately not prosecuted. Among the evidence collected was the Draft of Basic Plan for Establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere. This document provides insight into Soho’s views on Japan’s role in Asia and reveals how deeply influenced he was by kokugaku (national learning) and kokutai (national essence) ideologies.

The Basis of the Imperial Way

In the section titled The Basis of the Imperial Way, Soho discusses how Japan’s three imperial regalia symbolize the “imperial way” that guides the nation. He writes:

“Then, it is not wrong to liken the Three Sacred Treasures to the three virtues of intelligence, love, and courage by saying that the Mirror represents the intelligence which reflects everything, the Jewel, the love which embraces everything, and the Sword the courage which judges between justice and injustice, honesty and dishonesty.”

Here, Soho assigns human qualities to the imperial regalia—intelligence, love, and courage—and connects them to the imperial lineage. He argues that these virtues emanate from the divine imperial bloodline. This passage demonstrates a clear example of civil religious tendencies: by attributing these virtues to the divine emperor and linking them to the state, Soho creates a connection between the state and the divine.

Soho further claims that these virtues are not just tied to the imperial family but are also national traits shared by all Japanese people. He writes:

“The phrase ‘the three virtues of intelligence, love, and courage’ may sound very much like a common ethical teaching, but when considered realistically, it gives us the reason why our country, under whatever circumstances, has never resorted to arms for the sake of arms alone.”

In this statement, Soho argues that Japan only goes to war with purpose, never for violence’s sake, presenting the nation’s actions as morally justified.

Three Qualifications of the Leader of Greater East Asia

In the section Three Qualifications of the Leader of Greater East Asia, Soho outlines why Japan should lead East Asia. He asserts that Japan is destined to be the “Light of East Asia” and eventually the “Light of the World.” Additionally, he claims that Japan possesses the three essential qualities required for a great leader:

“In short, the first is the Grace of the Sacred Sword, the second, the Grace of the Sacred Mirror, and the third, the Grace of the Sacred Jewels. If we should express it in other words, we must have courage, knowledge, and benevolence. If Nippon should lack even one of the above three, it will not be able to become the Light of Asia.”

According to Soho, Japan’s divine connection through the imperial regalia grants it the necessary virtues—courage, knowledge, and benevolence—to lead East Asia and, eventually, the world. However, he acknowledges the potential for failure if even one of these qualities is lacking.

Soho’s Civil Religious Influence

Both sections of the document contain clear references to kokugaku and kokutai ideologies, which were integral to state Shinto as a form of civil religion. Soho uses the symbolism of the imperial regalia to reinforce Japan’s divine mission and its destiny to lead, aligning his views with the broader civil religious narrative of the time.

Unlike government officials or the emperor, whose authority derived from their official positions, Soho built his authority independently through his work as a publisher and journalist. By printing and distributing newspapers and magazines, Soho created his own sphere of influence, much like modern forms of media-driven authority.

Through his publications, Soho was able to spread his interpretation of civil religion, acting as an example of bottom-up civil religion, where a private citizen contributes to the propagation of national ideology. His writings demonstrate how civil religion was not only shaped by state institutions but also by individuals who aligned themselves with and reinforced its core ideals.

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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. 1162, 1164.