Japan's Imperial Diplomacy : Consuls, Treaty Ports and War in China, 1895-1938

by Brooks, Barbara J.

• ISBN13: 9780824823252
• ISBN10: 0824823257
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2000-09-01
• Publisher: Univ of Hawaii Pr

Summary

In November 1937, Ishii Itaro, head of the Japanese Foreign Ministry's Bureau of Asiatic Affairs, reflected bitterly on the decline of the ministry's influence in China and his own long and debilitating struggle to guide China policy. Ishii was the most notable member of a group of middle-level diplomats who, having served in China, strongly advocated that Japan adopt policies in harmony with China's rising nationalism and national interests. Japan's Imperial Diplomacy profiles this distinct strain of "China service diplomat", while providing a comprehensive look at the institutional history and internal dynamics of the Japanese Foreign Ministry and its handling of China affairs in the years leading up to and through the Second World War.

Moving from a thorough examination of a wide range of primary sources, including the extensive archives of the Japanese Foreign Ministry, memoirs, diaries, and unpublished speeches, Japan's Imperial Diplomacy offers integrated interpretations of Japanese imperialism, diplomacy, and the bureaucratic restructuring of the 1930s

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments	ix
Introduction	1	(14)
The Rise of Kasumigaseki Diplomacy	15	(30)
The Struggle for Autonomy
The Development of the Carreer Diplomat	45	(34)
Nurturing China Expertise
The Japanese Consul in China	79	(38)
The Gaimusho's Loss in the Manchurian Incident	117	(43)
The Path to War	160	(48)
The Gaimusho's Continuing Loss of Control in China Affairs
Conclusion	208	(7)
Notes	215	(48)
Bibliography	263	(18)
Index	281