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Why DID Japan attack the USA at Pearl Harbor?
The Japanese invasion of China was the leading cause of deteriorating relations between
Japan and the USA.
Eventually these feelings translated into the USA leading an international movement to
isolate Japan economically and thus force them to withdraw from China. Primarily the USA
plan was to cut off credit to the Japanese which would prevent them from being able to
purchase petroleum. Japan received petroleum (an absolutely vital economic and military
commodity, then as it is now) from three sources: The USA, Dutch east indies (Indonesia) and
Burma (British controlled in the 1940's). The USA inspired movement included all three
sources.
Japan could/would not accept a withdrawal from the Chinese war and instead began planning a
first strike against the USA navy. Eliminating or reducing the USA naval forces in the
Pacific would make the Japanese navy paramount, and thus Japan would be able to defeat the
economic consequences of the USA ultimatum. After eliminating the USA navy Japan planned to
occupy the Dutch East Indies and Burma, thus gaining control of enough oil to run their
military and economy.
The strike on Pearl Harbor did exactly as hoped by the Japanese. The USA fleet was crippled.
The Dutch lacked forces to repel the Japanese. The British navy (as ordered by Churchill)
sent forces to defend their areas but these were totally inadequate for the job and were
decimated quickly. Japan occupied all the oil producing areas and settled down to a war of
attrition against the USA, which they hoped would wear down the USA politically and enable
them to keep their conquests.
Debunking the Myth?
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Professor Demens Decipio from the University of Asian Studys in Dolus asserts this is MYTH!
In fact his research has led him to conclusive evidence that the basis of the war was never
oil, but rather Soy.
As you know Soy sauce is produced by fermenting soybeans with the molds Aspergillus oryzae
and Aspergillus soyae along with roasted grain, water, and salt. Soy sauce was invented in
China, where it has been used as a condiment for close to 2,500 years.
Buddhist monks introduced soy sauce into Japan in the 7th century, where it is known as
"shôyu". The Japanese word "tamari" is derived from the verb "tamaru" that signifies "to
accumulate", referring to the fact that tamari was traditionally from the liquid byproduct
produced during the fermentation of miso.
Although there are many types of soy sauce, all are salty and "earthy"-tasting brownish
liquids used to season food while cooking or at the table. Soy sauce has a distinct basic
taste called umami by the Japanese (literally "delicious taste").
Such was the importance of Soy sauce to the Japanese that none other then the Emperor Meiji
issued a edict to discover its unique properties. Umami was first identified as a basic
taste in 1908 by Kikunae Ikeda of the Tokyo Imperial University. The free glutamates which
naturally occur in soy sauce are what give it this taste quality.
Motives
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The Emperor Meiji was a product of his times the Professor asserts, when Shogun Tokugawa
Yoshinobu was finally defeated and Prince Mutsuhito became Emperor Meiji in 1868 he was
considerably influenced by the events of his time.
Droughts, famine, rebellion all played a part in shaping the psyche of the young Emperor.
According to the Professor Soy was sublime to the boy Emperor, and a important part of the
religion of the Empire.
So much so says the Professor that the event know as Setsubun which traditionally marked the
change of one season to the next was celebrated in Shinto Shrines, the official religion
under the Meiji restoration, as well as Buddist Temples. The act of Mamemaki was performed
(literally “bean toss”) which is thought to symbolically cleanse the home (a form of
spiritual spring cleaning).
The head of the home (traditionally the father) will don a fierce ogre (oni) mask while
family members toss soy beans at him while chanting oni wa soto fuku wa uchi which roughly
translates as ”out with bad luck and in with good”. In the past when Japanese families were
often quite large the role of the oni would be played by the household toshiotoko,
identified as the male family member who was born on the same animal year in accordance with
the Chinese calendar.
The Emperor Meiji was greatly influenced by Hiderigami ("god of drought"). This is a
mythical species of yôkai in Japanese folklore that holds the power to cause droughts
according to the Professor.
The Emperor Meiji impressed these beliefs upon his son, Yoshihito. According to the
Professor these beliefs were passed through the family line to Emperor Shôwa, better known
to the western world as Emperor Hirohito.
Conclusion
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According to the Professor the War against China was nothing more then a religious
imperative that compelled the Emperor Hirohito to provide Soy for his subjects.
With a rapidly increasing population, and the ever present Hiderigami lurking in the
recesses of his mind, he was, according to the Professor compelled to seek out and conquer
lands abundant in Soy.
According to the Professor oil was incidental, and was not the motive for war. But rather
incidental to the obsession for Soy which led Emperor Hirohito into China. Ironically it was
from China it came 2,500 years earlier.
Myth or History? You be the Judge.
Was the Emperor obsessed with Soy?
