2-WWII+Japan+HF

Masden Stribling


 * How did war objectives affect the homefront? How did propaganda affect the mindset of the people?**

The domestic population felt strongly the desire to expand. The Japanese people felt that they needed to colonize in order to obtain the resources necessary to survive as a nation, lest they end up subject to foreign interests as China was. The home front in Japan also regarded the colonization as the ultimate way to bring honor to their country and supported it with zeal.

The early war efforts in China, like the fall of nanking in 1937, held remote importance for the home front. War objectives became more important to the Japanese in the early 40’s when they felt they were fighting against an enemy (Britain and the US). Support for the war initially wavered when Japan attacked pearl harbor in 1941 because the citizens were uneasy about entering a war with the united States, but they eventually resolved to support the war.

This Japanese imperial government used propaganda, the National Spiritual Mobilization Campaign, which manipulated samurai tradition and Zen Buddhism, to convince the home front that Japanese expansion was morally right. The propaganda greatly increased Japanese nationalism because they felt they were rising to the standards of foreign western powers like Britain, while maintaining their own identity. However, the government wasn't able to make a huge amount of propaganda because they lacked the economic power and infrastructure necessary for a mass marketing campaign. Also, only 6% of the population even had radios.


 * How did the homefront contribute to the war effort?**

The Japanese government had problems mobilizing the civilian population. They were not as industrialized as the western powers. Rather, their industry wasn’t so pervasive that any Japanese citizen could be instructed to use it. In 1940, over 50% of the Japanese lived in rural areas.

Many Japanese women sent small cloth dolls, or “mascot dolls” (masukotto), along with Japanese soldiers. The dolls were meant to remind the soldiers of the family they had left behind and increased soldier morale. They also had some ritual/ spiritual significance and were thought to protect soldiers in battle. Masukotto were carried most by the kamakazi on suicide missions and were praised heavily by the Japanese government in propaganda. These dolls are an example of how the Japanese homefront focused heavily on increasing the morale of the Japanese soldiers, especially those made to perform suicide missions. what were the costs benefits of the war to the homefront? be specific

Japan benefitted from the increased nationalism and the consolidation of the governments political parties lead to internal stability. Also, the war effort encouraged the government to make school reforms that lead to a higher standard of living for its students. they were encouraged to pursue industrial careers instead of rural ones. which at the time paid better. The war also catalyzed Japan’s industry as hundreds of impoverished farmers moved to the cities to claim factory jobs, despite the government’s attempt to prevent this.

On the other hand, the command economy during the war decreased Japan’s economic well-being as free-enterprise was prohibited and businesses were forced to produce for the government. people suffered under strict rations, textile rationing being the worst; many people froze for lack of clothing.
 * How can we view the life for women?/young girls?**

To a certain extent, women became involved in the industrial war effort. They did not work to the extent of women in the US or Uk mainly because of the still-present cultural-restrictions, but it became more common for a woman to earn her own income. Many were in charge of making textile products like parachutes and uniforms and farm girls moved to the cities in search of jobs. Although they didn;t pay really well, they gave a higher salary than working on the family farm. Partner, Simon. "The WWII Home Front in Japan." Duke Today. Duke University, n.d. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. . Schattschneider, Ellen. "The Bloodstained Doll: Violence And The Gift In Wartime Japan." The Journal of Japanese Studies 31.2 (2005): 329-356. Print.