Introduction (Japanese Capitalism and the Colonies)

Abstract

One of the characteristics of Japanese capitalism before the end of the second world war lies in the possession of the colonies such as Korea, Formosa, and so on. The Purpose of this special issue is to investigate the history of Japanese colonies during the 1910s and 1920s in connection with the development of Japanese capitalism. The basic colonial policy of Japanese government at that time was "the policy of assimilation" which was similar to that of French government. Japanese government adopted such a policy in order to prevent the nationalistic movements in colonies and facilitate the economic activities of Japanese colonists. However, this policy strengthened the antipathy of colonial people against the Japanese, and led Japanese people to lose sensibility to recognize and accept other races as they are.