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Episode 588 – The All-Seeing Eye, Part 5
This week, we’re covering the postwar “Red Scare” in Japan, which has roots going back to the early 20th century but which was boosted during the postwar era by right-wing politicians and even members of the American occupation government. That conspiracy would, in turn, help shape both prewar and postwar politics on a profound level.
Sources
Kapur, Nick. Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo
Szpilman, Christoper W. A. “Conservatism and its Enemies in Prewar Japan: The Case of Hiranuma Kiichiro and the Kokuhonsha.” Hitsotsubashi Journal of Social Studies 30 (December, 1998)
Briscoe, Charles H. “The May Day Riots.” Veritas 8, No 1, 2012
NYT Article from 1939 on Hiranuma’s ascension to Prime Minister.
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-3149" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-300x249.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="249" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-300x249.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-768x638.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-1024x851.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-900x748.jpg 900w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-1280x1063.jpg 1280w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The death of Asanuma Inejiro, broadcast live on NHK, became a sort of symbolic stand in for the death of the old Japanese Left.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9947" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hiranuma_Kiichiro-207x300.jpg" alt="" width="207" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hiranuma_Kiichiro-207x300.jpg 207w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hiranuma_Kiichiro.jpg 654w" sizes="(max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px" />Hiranuma Kiichiro in the 1920s
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9949" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tatsuo_Morito_president_of_Hiroshima_University-208x300.jpg" alt="" width="208" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tatsuo_Morito_president_of_Hiroshima_University-208x300.jpg 208w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tatsuo_Morito_president_of_Hiroshima_University.jpg 453w" sizes="(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px" />Morito Tatsuo, speedbump on the road of Hiranuma Kiichiro’s career
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9948" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-300x268.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="268" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-300x268.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-1024x916.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-768x687.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents.jpg 1088w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The table of contents for an issue of the Kokuhon magazine in 1931. Note that the third article is entitled “the Problems of Marxism”–a recurring theme in the Kokuhonsha’s materials.
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By This week, we’re covering the postwar “Red Scare” in Japan, which has roots going back to the early 20th century but which was boosted during the postwar era by right-wing politicians and even members of the American occupation government. That conspiracy would, in turn, help shape both prewar and postwar politics on a profound level.
Sources
Kapur, Nick. Japan at the Crossroads: Conflict and Compromise after Anpo
Szpilman, Christoper W. A. “Conservatism and its Enemies in Prewar Japan: The Case of Hiranuma Kiichiro and the Kokuhonsha.” Hitsotsubashi Journal of Social Studies 30 (December, 1998)
Briscoe, Charles H. “The May Day Riots.” Veritas 8, No 1, 2012
NYT Article from 1939 on Hiranuma’s ascension to Prime Minister.
Images
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-3149" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-300x249.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="249" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-300x249.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-768x638.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-1024x851.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-900x748.jpg 900w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960-1280x1063.jpg 1280w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/Yamaguchi_assassinates_Asanuma_1960.jpg 1600w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The death of Asanuma Inejiro, broadcast live on NHK, became a sort of symbolic stand in for the death of the old Japanese Left.
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9947" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hiranuma_Kiichiro-207x300.jpg" alt="" width="207" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hiranuma_Kiichiro-207x300.jpg 207w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Hiranuma_Kiichiro.jpg 654w" sizes="(max-width: 207px) 100vw, 207px" />Hiranuma Kiichiro in the 1920s
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9949" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tatsuo_Morito_president_of_Hiroshima_University-208x300.jpg" alt="" width="208" height="300" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tatsuo_Morito_president_of_Hiroshima_University-208x300.jpg 208w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Tatsuo_Morito_president_of_Hiroshima_University.jpg 453w" sizes="(max-width: 208px) 100vw, 208px" />Morito Tatsuo, speedbump on the road of Hiranuma Kiichiro’s career
<img decoding="async" class="size-medium wp-image-9948" data-tf-not-load src="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-300x268.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="268" srcset="https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-300x268.jpg 300w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-1024x916.jpg 1024w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents-768x687.jpg 768w, https://isaacmeyer.net/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kokuhon_Vol.1_Table_of_contents.jpg 1088w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" />The table of contents for an issue of the Kokuhon magazine in 1931. Note that the third article is entitled “the Problems of Marxism”–a recurring theme in the Kokuhonsha’s materials.