The 'Spirit' of Self-Sacrifice: Hiraizumi Kiyoshi (1895-1984) and the Perception of History in Imperial Japan

Through what kind of historical narrative was Japanese fighting morale bolstered during World War Two? How was the kamikaze suicide method ideologically encouraged? This book-the first of two parts-analyzes the life and work of Hiraizumi Kiyoshi, the influential professor for Japanese Medieval History at Tōkyō Imperial University in the 1930s, who provided the academic basis for bracing the military and nation for the ultimate self-sacrifice in the name of the Emperor. This study leads up right to the eve of Pearl Harbor in December 1941, detailing the formative phase of Hiraizumi's ideology as well as his many connections to high-ranking persons in politics and the military of Imperial Japan. The second volume, that will be published in 2025, will examine Hiraizumi's part in the Pacific War and his role as a conservative influencer in the postwar period.