紀要論文

Releasing overseas territories increases the status of Japan in the international world: Ishibashi Tanzan and his “Small Japan policy”

eng

13491954

https://doi.org/10.15002/00007118

法政大学大学院　国際日本学インスティテュート専攻委員会

8

1

16

2011-03-22

Version of Record

In this paper we examined the “Small Japan Policy” advocated by Ishibashi Tanzan (石橋湛山, 1884–1973) and his notion of Japanese authorities in the interwar period. In three consecutive editorials of the Toyo Keizai Shinpo entitled “The Illusion of the ‘Big Japan Policy’” (1921), Ishibashi pointed out how important it was for Japan to give up its overseas expansionist policy, and provided a statistical basis for his claim. In these editorials Ishibashi mentioned two difficulties inherent in the “Big Japan policy”: first, such idea was a mere phantasm and second, those who advocate this idea were blinded by shortsighted ambitions and therefore did not know how to realise long term ambitions or true national interests. Even if, Ishibashi said, it were desirable for a great power to have a large territory, it was impossible for Japan now to imitate the territorial expansionism of the great powers. Such being the case it would rather be a wise strategy for Japan to have the great powers set free those territories, and for Japan to take the first step in this direction.

Article

AA12030252