Propaganda by Japan and Its Collaborative Government in the Occupied Regions of North China During the Second Sino-Japanese War - Focusing on Media Control and Censorship

Abstract

    This paper examines the propaganda efforts by Japan and its collaborative government in the Japanese-occupied region of North China during the Second Sino-Japanese War. It explores the development and characteristics of these efforts, with a focus on media control and censorship. Building on the experience from Manchukuo, the propaganda in the occupied region of North China was adapted to the local conditions and the shifting war situation. These efforts can be summarized in three key points: (1) centralized management system: as the war progressed, the propaganda system evolved from a fragmented management approach to a centralized, powerful structure designed to maximize its effectiveness;(2) shifting propaganda entities: the responsibility for propaganda shifted throughout the war, moving from the Japanese military to Chinese collaborators, and then back to the Japanese military. Chinese collaborators played a significant role in directing and executing propaganda efforts; (3) dual nature of propaganda: in the occupied region of North China, propaganda had a dual character, projecting an image of Sino-Japanese cooperation while maintaining substantial Japanese control. This duality resulted in a fundamental contradiction between the envisioned East Asian prosperity under Japanese dominance and the future vision of national independence and development held by Chinese collaborators. This conflict made it difficult for propaganda to resonate with the Chinese populace.