1. Forces That
Made Japan
Great
Part of II, Forces That
Make a Nation Great by
Jose P. Laurel (1943)
2. 1. Government by Symbol: His Majesty the
Emperor
2. Influence of Buddhism
3. The Nippon Family System
4. Compulsory Education
5. National Language
6. Human Industry
7. Benevolent Government
Material and Spiritual Forces for
Nation-building
3. Who is the Emperor?
•God-given ruler of the country;
•The representative of the gods
in the heaven; and
•The direct descendent of the
divine ancestor of the race
•The devotion to the Emperor is
the “old rock of the Japanese
nation.”
•The legendary symbol of the
Japanese people and their
country
4. In Japan, His Majesty the Emperor is the symbol of
common imperishable tradition and nationality.
Emperor-worship is not merely a religion; it has the
force of what may be termed a super religion. Thus,
respective religions are also Emperor-worshippers.
“The Majesty of our Imperial House towers high
above everything to be found in the world, and it is
durable as heaven and earth”
Emperor-worship has been responsible for the
existence in Japan of : continuity of traditions,
reverence for the ruler, faith in a national or racial
mission
Government by Symbol
5. The British King is the nominal leader of the
British Empire; however, he ceased to partake
of the divine character of his predecessors
The Constitution id claimed to be the symbol of
the democratic way of life chartered for the
American people
China is divided because of the lack of
integrating living force that could counteract
the demoralizing influences sown by dominant
foreigners
The Philippines is in need of a symbol
possessed of similar compelling force and
dynamic reality, because division and
dissension is continued.
Japan vis-à-vis other States
6. Origin of Japanese
spiritual forces
worship of Nature and of spirits
Shintoism- refers to a less
articulate hero and ancestor
worship with a background of
Nature worship
Confucianism
Buddhism- had its origin in India.
7. Buddhism has been the main inspiring and
integrating factor that has had an ever-
pervading influence on the spiritual life of the
Japanese people
All religions coincide in the fundamentals;
however, they differ in the methods of
theological approach;
The spiritual authority and social ascendency of
Christianity are at any rate, losing ground in the
modern world largely due to the failure of the
traditional institutions of this faith to adapt
themselves to the changing environment
Influence of Buddhism
8. Japanese family
system
Japanese family is
patriarchal and is as a rule a
large family.
The Japanese family aims at
the preservation of its
name, the honor of its
lineage, its mode of life, the
family occupation and the
communal property.
The couple’s importance is
recognized only in so far as
it serves the purpose of
perpetuating the family by
begetting heirs.
9. The couple’s importance is recognized
only in so far as it serves the purpose of
perpetuating the family by begetting
heirs.
Divorce in Japan is determined by the
requirements of the family and not as in
western countries, by the problems of
mutual adjustments between husband
and wife.
A wife who enters the family must be
faithful to the traditional mode of life of
her husband’s family.
The Nippon Family System
10. The archaic and feudal system of
primogeniture –eldest son inherits the power
to rule the family and supervise its property
but in return for this exclusive privilege he
has the sacred obligation to consecrate
himself to the perpetuation of the family
tradition
Cooperative character of the family; every
member works not for himself but for the
entire family
11. Japan’s compulsory
education
“Japan is a school, an Athens.
Temperamentally alert and quick
like the ancient Hellenes, of
passive turn of mind, ready to
receive, and immensely curious
to learn everything new and
strange, the people turn to
learning as do ducks to water.”
In Japan, a Japanese boy or girl
of seven has to go to one of the
ordinary primary schools and stay
for the required six years. In
1946, Japan has 30,000 primary
schools with more than 100,000
pupils. The literacy rate is almost
100 percent.
12. A uniform for school children is prescribed
so that proper supervision by the police
and other authorities over the young soul
is practicable and efficient.
Separation of sexes is prescribed after
the primary grades on the theory that
there should be differences in the system
and methods of training and instruction
on account of sex
Middle school corresponds to our public
high school.
Compulsory Education
13. Boy student stays five years in the middle
school where he learns Japanese literature,
Chinese classics, a foreign language,
arithmetic, algebra, geometry, history,
physics and chemistry, law and economics,
technical studies, etc.
Girl student who enters a high school
followed a four or five-year course. She
studies domestic science and sewing, as
well the tea ceremony and flower
arrangement.
14. In education, what is needed is not
democracy but regimentation, not liberty
but discipline, not liberalism but correct
orientation, not flexibility but rigidity in
the formation of the desired mould of
citizenship.
15. National Language
Linguistic unity is a binding
force of utmost importance
because the color and quality of
the language largely determine
the color and quality of the
thought of the people who use
it.
16. Yokiuku is the classical Japanese. Initially
just the language in Tokyo, later was
nationalized.
Language of Japan has been the most
powerful factor not only for the
cementing of national unity but also for
the phenomenally swift absorption of
word culture by modern Japan
National Language
17. During the Spanish regime, Spanish was the
official language in the Philippines
During the American occupation, we were made
to adopt English as the medium of instruction on
the theory probably that the value of democratic
institutions could be understood and appreciated
only in that language
Sec. 3, Article 8, Gen. Provisions, Original
Constitution, “The National Assembly shall take
steps towards the development and adoption of a
common national language based on one of the
existing native languages”
Evolution of “Filipino”
18. Human Industry
It refers to the developing
of able bodied citizens.
Above all industries of a
country should be human
industry.
On top of self-sufficiency
in goods and commodities
and natural resources
should be sufficiency in
man power.
19. To insure the good health of every
children born in Japan, the government
directly and indirectly cares for the
expectant mother, givers her aid in
various forms, and protects her well being
through the maternity hospitals and
confinement advisory institutes of which
there are a goodly number all over the
country.
Child bearing and celebration of marriage
are encouraged
Japanese Human Industry: Health
20. Social legislation are strictly enforced in
the form of Factory Law, the Mining Law,
and the Health Insurance Law which
safeguard the health of women workers,
particularly those in the family way.
Training and education for the populace
Japanese Human Industry: Labor
21. Benevolent
Government
It is not the form of government but
the substance of government that
determines whether it is popular or
autocratic.
The Government of Japan is far
from being autocratic and
tyrannical.
22. A. relative protection of life, liberty and
property;
B. relative freedom of religion and of
worship; and
C. relative freedom of speech and of the
press
Minimum requirements:
Benevolent Government
23. The world is governed by God and man, the
former in His infinite Wisdom as the Supreme
Being and the latter, if morally and
intellectually capable.
People cannot be both governors and
governed at the same time.
A good and efficient government, a
benevolent government may exist WHEN
MEN OF SUPERIOR MORAL AND
INTELLECTUAL ENDOWNMENTS ARE IN
CONTROL OF STATE
BENVOLENT GOVERNMENT:
ARISTORCRACY
24. A benevolent government is a result of
traditional practice of allowing the best-
endowned men in the service of the state
ample scope and latitude in the exercise of
governmental powers.
In theory, Japan has the most undemocratic
state in the modern world, for it is the only
government extant based on the divine right
of rulers, but in practice, it is a most
benevolent government.
25. The government’s concept of its role is that it
is the God-chosen custodian of the people,
and it therefore, spares neither pains nor
effort to improve the economic and cultural
conditions of the nation.
Japan has attained her present greatness
because of mutual trust between the
government and the people, and through a
long consistent policy of unselfish devotion
on the part of the government to the
enlightenment, development, and uplift of
the entire people
26. Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere
Regional economy
REGIONALISM
Editor's Notes
This is the only book published by Jose P. Laurel during the Japanese period, in particular during the time he was comminssioner of the interior, although the attempt at formulating systematically his ideas on moral and political philosophy was in the making while he was confined at the Sugamo prison.
The greatness of Japan has been achieved through faithful loyalty to civic-moral principles in the course of centuries of dedication to national growth. There are also certain factors other than civico-moral principles, in the case of Japan which laid the foundation of nation building-to strengthen their Empire and bind the members of the great Yamato race into indisoluble unity. Laurel namely identify the following as the forces for Japan’s successful nation building
The Ruler is held in reverence by his loyal and united subjects; he lives above the clouds, loved, respected and venerated as the unifying centre of national gravityl he is the l
No people on earth except the Japanese have the reality of such a living soul integrated into the purposes and meaning of their daily actions and striving. Neither the memory of common sufferin nor consciousness of common destiny suffices to constitute an adequate unifying symbol valid at all times and potent enough to ensure solidarity of action under all circumstances; a common tradition or community of ideals, while important, lacks decisive controlling force; the flag is an embodiment of a nations’ identity, history and aspirations is incapable of imparting upon a people’s iddeals the hallowed breath of a living soul that actually exist.
Various faiths and creeds identically point to the supreme importance in the life of individuals and of nations of belief in the Divine Providence of God who created and uphold the universe. The Christian Bible, the Mohammadean Koran and sacred books of Buddhism and of other religions, each has its own set of commandments for the observance of the faithful. In terms of difference, the Christian bible enjoins the faithful to love God for God is all LOve; while the Koran commands the faithful to fear God because God is powerful
Two kinds of inheritance: material property and family tradition and cult.
The developmetn of Practical paternalism in Hapanhs not degenerated into parasitism. Each member of the Japanese family is a willing and actual contributor by the sweat of his brow to the common wealth and fund of the family and each and every one is a devoted keeper and worshipper of the sacred traditions enshired in every family altar.
The absence of a well-developed and popularly cultivated national language in a country of any consequence is a serious deficiency; such a lack means that speedy and accurate communication of ideas and information is impossible, the development of national unity is slow and fitful, and unfortunate political and social cleavage that result from dialect-nurtured regionalism become sharper and irremediable.
Japan had the problem of multiple dialects up to about the time of the Russo-Japanese War. However, their leaders meet the problem squarely and solved it through YOKIUKU.
During the Spanish regime, Spanish was the official language in the Philippines. It was the medium of instructions, the language of business and of that of small upper middle class society that thrived by the grace of the overlordly colonial government. When Thomasites came in the country and taught the natives, they used English as the new medium of instruction. Unlike Spanish, English became epidemic in all levels of Philippine society. Later, when the Japanese came they short-lived taught us Japanese, and later called for the adoption of an existing native language to become our national language. The effect of this unique political and linguistic background have been to retard the natural development of our native dialects, and on the other, to accustom us to using clumsily a tool of expression in the form of a foreign tongue with which to overcome a certain extent the difficulty of intercommunication among the various groups of the population each of which speaks a dialect of its own.We must take full advantage of the inspiration provdied our new constitution to develop our national language intensively, propagate it systematically over the length and breadth of the land until we can be proud to tell the world that we are truly a united nation, one in race, one in language, one in aspirations.
Japanese human resources capitalizes on their investment in human capital: that is by providing them healthcare, education, and better working conditions. This is to develop able bodied citizens who can work for their economy. They believe that human industry is the starting point for a program of national development. Of course, big population, greater manpower force and production. That’s why above all industries, it is the population who should be developed.
INJpaan the ratio of doctor and patient is one is to 700. While in the philippines it is 1:300 and in chine, 1:10,000. during that time, they have 60,000 physicians, 25,000 dental surgeons, 32,000 pharmacists, 65,000 midwives and 125,000 licensed nurses.
Of course, mere population will not make a country great and progressive. Without unity, proper education, the right ideals and social and political organization, density of population is no positive advantage; on the contrary, it can even be a liability. On the other hand, it is evident that without a sufficient population any political or social device would be devoid of factual and organic basis since there would be no large body of people to be organized educated or even regimented
A GOVERNMENT DESIGNS THE PATTERN OF ITS OPERATION, ALWAYS TAKING CARE THAT THE NECESSARY EQUILIBRIUM BETWEEN THE POWERS OF GOVERNMENT AND THE RIGHTS OF THE PEOPLE IS MAINTAINED.
