The Kempeitai maintained a headquarters in each relevant army area, comprising two or three field offices, each with approximately 375 personnel. The field office in turn was divided into 65-man sections called 'buntai', which were further divided into sub-sections called bunkentai, with approximately 25 personnel. Each sub-section contained three squads: a police squad or keimu han, an administration squad or naikin han, and a ...

See also:

Kempeitai, Kempeitai - Organization, Kempeitai - Wartime mission, Kempeitai - Arrest authority, Kempeitai - Uniform, Kempeitai - Strength

Read more here: » Kempeitai: Encyclopedia II - Kempeitai - Organization

Yakuza (from Japanese やくざ or ヤクザ or 8-9-3), also known as gokudō, are members of traditional organized crime groups in Japan. Today the Yakuza is the largest organized crime phenomenon in the world, as noted in the Guinness Book of Records. In Japanese legal terminology, yakuza organizations are referred to as Bōryokudan, literally "violence groups". Yakuza members consider this an insult, as Bōryokudan is a term which can be applied to any violent criminal. In the Western press they are freq ...

Including:

• Yakuza - Origin and history
• Yakuza - Tekiya and Bakuto
• Yakuza - Post-War Yakuza: Gurentai
• Yakuza - Organization and activities
• Yakuza - Structure
• Yakuza - Rituals
• Yakuza - Current Activities
• Yakuza - Reference
• Yakuza - Books
• Yakuza - Selected Film References

Read more here: » Yakuza: Encyclopedia - Yakuza

Imperial Way Faction - Political environment. The origins of this party in the 1920s saw the last of the old-style samurai officers going and a new radical breed taking their place in the Japanese military. Officer groups, such as the Double Leaf Society, which were secret societies themselves and with ties to the other secret groups, were formed with the fanatical beliefs of ultranationalism and the need for a purge of the Choshu elements of the army. The Army became divided between the Kodaha (Imperial B ...

See also:

Imperial Way Faction, Imperial Way Faction - Origins of the movement, Imperial Way Faction - Political environment, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese military politics, Imperial Way Faction - Industrialists and militarism, Imperial Way Faction - Circumstances that allowed the Japanese military to gain political power, Imperial Way Faction - Political development, Imperial Way Faction - Sadao Araki has his day, Imperial Way Faction - Hideki Tojo succeeds as party leader, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese official establishment in central government, Imperial Way Faction - Political structure in the movement, Imperial Way Faction - The last party chiefs and Prime Ministers, Imperial Way Faction - Summary

Read more here: » Imperial Way Faction: Encyclopedia II - Imperial Way Faction - Origins of the movement

Yakuza - Structure. During the formation of the yakuza, they adopted the traditional Japanese hierarchical structure of oyabun-kobun where kobun (children) owe their allegiance to the oyabun (father). In a much later period, the code of "jingi" (justice and duty) was developed where loyalty and respect are a way of life. The oyabun-kobun relationship is formalized by ceremonial sharing of sake from a single cup. This ritual is not exclusive to the yakuza -- it is also commo ...

See also:

Yakuza, Yakuza - Origin and history, Yakuza - Tekiya and Bakuto, Yakuza - Post-War Yakuza: Gurentai, Yakuza - Organization and activities, Yakuza - Structure, Yakuza - Rituals, Yakuza - Current Activities, Yakuza - Reference, Yakuza - Books, Yakuza - Selected Film References

Read more here: » Yakuza: Encyclopedia II - Yakuza - Organization and activities

Japanese nationalism - Tradition. The bushido (warrior way) — the samurai code —. When the daimyo system was abolished the code was adopted for ideological purposes and ultranationalist doctrine. The samurai ideals were analysed in depth by Imperial Japanese Army Ideologist Sadao Araki for adaptation in contemporary military training as a doctrine of "seishin kyoiku" (spiritual training) for ideological rapport between armed forces. As Minister of Education, he supported the integration ...

See also:

Japanese nationalism, Japanese nationalism - The ideology of Japanese nationalism 1905-1945, Japanese nationalism - Tradition, Japanese nationalism - Education, Japanese nationalism - Nationalist politics, Japanese nationalism - Geostrategy, Japanese nationalism - Other ideological lines, Japanese nationalism - Control of communications media, Japanese nationalism - Ideological influences in foreign areas, Japanese nationalism - Summary, Japanese nationalism - After 1945, Japanese nationalism - Bibliography, Japanese nationalism - Other historical references, Japanese nationalism - Asian and Pacific geopolitics, Japanese nationalism - Official publications of the Japanese and Manchukuo governments, Japanese nationalism - Foreign general literature on the Empire of Japan and Japanese-supported regimes in Northeast Asia

Read more here: » Japanese nationalism: Encyclopedia II - Japanese nationalism - The ideology of Japanese nationalism 1905-1945

The "Imperial Way Faction" represented the principal right-wing political movement in the Empire of Japan from some point in the 1930s, emerging from a welter of similar groups and secret societies. In 1941, as a political party, it achieved the goal of real power. Its members led all political and military national efforts during the Pacific War. It was abolished, with the other nationalist organization ...

See also:

Imperial Way Faction, Imperial Way Faction - Origins of the movement, Imperial Way Faction - Political environment, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese military politics, Imperial Way Faction - Industrialists and militarism, Imperial Way Faction - Circumstances that allowed the Japanese military to gain political power, Imperial Way Faction - Political development, Imperial Way Faction - Sadao Araki has his day, Imperial Way Faction - Hideki Tojo succeeds as party leader, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese official establishment in central government, Imperial Way Faction - Political structure in the movement, Imperial Way Faction - The last party chiefs and Prime Ministers, Imperial Way Faction - Summary

Read more here: » Imperial Way Faction: Encyclopedia II - Imperial Way Faction - Summary

Imperial Way Faction - Sadao Araki has his day. Araki Sadao was an important figurehead and "political and thinking father" of the party; his first ideological works date from his leadership of the Kodaha (Imperial Benevolent Rule or Action Group), opposed by the Toseiha (Control Group) led by General Kazushige Ugaki. He linked the ancient (bushido code) and contemporary local and European fascist ideals (Japanese fascism), to f ...

See also:

Imperial Way Faction, Imperial Way Faction - Origins of the movement, Imperial Way Faction - Political environment, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese military politics, Imperial Way Faction - Industrialists and militarism, Imperial Way Faction - Circumstances that allowed the Japanese military to gain political power, Imperial Way Faction - Political development, Imperial Way Faction - Sadao Araki has his day, Imperial Way Faction - Hideki Tojo succeeds as party leader, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese official establishment in central government, Imperial Way Faction - Political structure in the movement, Imperial Way Faction - The last party chiefs and Prime Ministers, Imperial Way Faction - Summary

Read more here: » Imperial Way Faction: Encyclopedia II - Imperial Way Faction - Political development

In a close to chaotic political (and economic and social) situation, the military were considered politically "clean" in terms of political corruption, and assumed responsibility for 'restoring' the security of the nation. The armed forces took up criticism of the traditional democratic parties and regular government for many reasons (low funds for the armed forces, compromised national security, weakness of the leaders). They were also, by their composition, closely aware of the effects of economic depression on the middle and lower classes ...

See also:

Imperial Way Faction, Imperial Way Faction - Origins of the movement, Imperial Way Faction - Political environment, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese military politics, Imperial Way Faction - Industrialists and militarism, Imperial Way Faction - Circumstances that allowed the Japanese military to gain political power, Imperial Way Faction - Political development, Imperial Way Faction - Sadao Araki has his day, Imperial Way Faction - Hideki Tojo succeeds as party leader, Imperial Way Faction - Japanese official establishment in central government, Imperial Way Faction - Political structure in the movement, Imperial Way Faction - The last party chiefs and Prime Ministers, Imperial Way Faction - Summary

Read more here: » Imperial Way Faction: Encyclopedia II - Imperial Way Faction - Circumstances that allowed the Japanese military to gain political power

The term "Yakuza" comes from a Japanese card game, Oicho-Kabu (played with hanafuda or kabufuda cards). The worst hand in the game is a set of eight, nine and three. In traditional Japanese forms of counting, these numbers are called Ya, Ku and Sa, thus the origin of the word "yakuza." The yakuza took this name because the Ya-Ku-Za hand requires the most skill (at judging opponents, etc.) and, obviously, the best luck in order to win. The name was also used because it signified bad fortune, presuma ...

See also:

Yakuza, Yakuza - Origin and history, Yakuza - Tekiya and Bakuto, Yakuza - Post-War Yakuza: Gurentai, Yakuza - Organization and activities, Yakuza - Structure, Yakuza - Rituals, Yakuza - Current Activities, Yakuza - Reference, Yakuza - Books, Yakuza - Selected Film References

Read more here: » Yakuza: Encyclopedia II - Yakuza - Origin and history

In February of 1946 General Douglas MacArthur was set the task of drafting a model constitution to serve as a guide for the Japanese people. The U.S. intention was to ensure that the sources of Japanese militarism were rooted out through fundamental reforms of the Japanese government, society, and economic structure. Perhaps the most lasting effect that came out of this constitution is article 9 that reads: "Aspiring sincerely to an international peace based on justice and order, the Japanese people forever renounce war as a sov ...

See also:

Japanese nationalism, Japanese nationalism - The ideology of Japanese nationalism 1905-1945, Japanese nationalism - Tradition, Japanese nationalism - Education, Japanese nationalism - Nationalist politics, Japanese nationalism - Geostrategy, Japanese nationalism - Other ideological lines, Japanese nationalism - Control of communications media, Japanese nationalism - Ideological influences in foreign areas, Japanese nationalism - Summary, Japanese nationalism - After 1945, Japanese nationalism - Bibliography, Japanese nationalism - Other historical references, Japanese nationalism - Asian and Pacific geopolitics, Japanese nationalism - Official publications of the Japanese and Manchukuo governments, Japanese nationalism - Foreign general literature on the Empire of Japan and Japanese-supported regimes in Northeast Asia

Read more here: » Japanese nationalism: Encyclopedia II - Japanese nationalism - After 1945