Reflecting on the Day the Pacific War Japan/USA Began: Beyond the Elimination of Anti-Military Speeches

SPOTLIGHT, 15 Dec 2025

Editorial | Tokyo Shimbun – TRANSCEND Media Service

8 Dec 2025 – 84 years ago, (8 Dec 1941 (Showa 16) in Japan, 7 Dec 1941 in the USA), Japan entered combat with the United States and Britain. This marked the beginning of the Pacific War [which was the armed conflict, initiated by Japan, in the Asia-Pacific theater of WWII]. Japan had been at war with China since 1937, and the front lines expanded to the Western Pacific.  [Pearl Harbor attack in photos. The day that lives in ‘infamy’]

While the initial battles were unstoppable, the tide turned dramatically after the Battle of Midway in 1942 (Showa 17), the following year. The country was reduced to ashes, and the war finally ended after 3.1 million Japanese people were killed.

The early Showa era* was still lingering in the afterglow of “Taisho Democracy,” but freedoms were gradually taken away from society, and the people were driven to war. Why did Japan enter such a devastating war? Considering the factors behind this will provide important lessons for preventing and preventing war from ever happening again. [* The “Showa era”, the era the Japanese Emperor Hirohito reigned Japan, from 1926 – 1989.]

◆Politics Failed to Restrain the Military

The biggest factor was the failure of politics to restrain the military’s rampage.
After the end of World War I in 1918 (Taisho** 7), the international community temporarily moved toward disarmament. The Washington Naval Treaty, which restricted the possession of battleships by major powers, including Japan, was concluded in 1922 (Taisho 11), and the London Naval Treaty, which restricted the possession of auxiliary vessels, was concluded in 1930 (Showa 5). The Paris Treaty, which formed the basis for Article 9 of the Constitution, renounces war, was also concluded in 1928 (Showa 3).  [** The “Taisho era”, the era the Japanese Emperor Taisho reigned Japan, from 1912 – 1926.]

The Osachi Hamaguchi Cabinet, which was formed in 1929 (Showa 4), actively maintained cooperation with the major powers and reduced military spending through disarmament. However, forces within the navy dissatisfied with the London Naval Treaty criticized the Hamaguchi Cabinet for infringing on the Emperor’s supreme command authority, and some politicians agreed. This was the issue of infringement of supreme command authority.

The treaty was ratified, but Prime Minister Hamaguchi was attacked by a thug and died the following year in 1931 (Showa 6). Approximately three weeks later, the Mukden Incident broke out, marking the beginning of an era of terrorism that allowed the military to run wild.

The “May 15 Incident” , in which young naval officers assassinated Prime Minister Tsuyoshi Inukai, occurred in 1932 (Showa 7), and the “February 26 Incident”, in which young army officers assassinated Finance Minister Korekiyo Takahashi and others, occurred in 1936 (Showa 11).

The “February 26 Incident” marked a significant expansion of the influence of the military. It reinstated the system of military ministers and active military officers being appointed as Minister of War and Navy from among active military officers, and by excluding ministers from cabinets that the military was dissatisfied with, it could even influence the appointment of prime ministers.

Although the Imperial Rescript to Soldiers and Sailors prohibited Imperial military personnel from involvement in politics, this system made it difficult to eliminate military influence from politics.

There were also politicians who resisted the rise of the military. A prime example of this was House of Representatives member Takao Saito.  In his “Military Purge Speech” delivered in the House of Representatives after the “February 26 Incident”, he called for the military to exercise discipline, while also criticizing the military for its disregard for Parliament and increasing interference in politics.

However, politics was unable to stop the military’s rampage, and the following year, in 1937, the Second Sino-Japanese War began.

In 1940 (Showa 15), two and a half years after the outbreak of war between Japan and China, Saito once again took the podium in the Diet. This speech was known as an “anti-military speech.”

“If we simply hide behind the noble pretext of a holy war, ignore the sacrifices of our people, and string out such preposterous words as international justice, moral diplomacy, coexistence and co-prosperity, and world peace, and miss a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and make a mistake in the nation’s long-term plans, then politicians today will never be able to atone for their sins, even if they die.”

However, the military, in sharp opposition to the speech, put pressure on the political parties. Then-Speaker of the House of Representatives, Matsutoshi Koyama, used his authority to delete approximately 10,000 words of the speech from the minutes. Members of parliament also sided with the military, forcing Saito’s expulsion from the House of Representatives.

Less than six months after Saito’s expulsion, all political parties were dissolved. Politicians rallied together in the Imperial Rule Assistance Association, formed in October of the same year, under the slogan “Don’t miss the bus,” completely losing their ability to resist the military.

◆The Media’s Inescapable Responsibility

The end result of the elimination of anti-military speech was the reckless plunge into the Pacific War, large-scale air raids on major cities and military facilities, reckless military operations led by those kamikaze pilots, ground battles in Okinawa that drew in civilians, and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Of course, the responsibility does not lie solely with the military or politicians. Even as censorship of speech strengthened, media outlets such as our newspapers, which suddenly shifted their stance to support the war and incited the public, cannot escape responsibility.

The world is currently experiencing a period of rampant, courageous speech. we believe that media outlets can fulfill their responsibility by monitoring belligerent governments and authorities and preventing or preventing war from starting.

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Note:  Some hyperlinks with underlines and relevant web sites and/or some explanations in [ ] were added by the translator for the convenience of the reader.

Translation:  Satoshi Ashikaga – Google Translate

Original in Japanese:  〈社説〉開戦の日に考える　「反軍演説」抹殺の先に：東京新聞デジタル

This article originally appeared on Transcend Media Service (TMS) on 15 Dec 2025.

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