Book: The Theory of Japan's National Polity and Pure Socialism: Volume 3

🔻 BOOK DATA - The Theory of Japan's National Polity and Pure Socialism

Title: The Theory of Japan's National Polity and Pure Socialism: Volume 3

Author: Ikki Kita

ISBN: 9789887115243

Language: English

Publisher: Ryota Nakanishi

(June 11, 2025)

This constitutes the inaugural English translation of Ikki Kita's seminal work, The Theory of Japan's National Polity and Pure Socialism (1906), alternatively entitled Kokutairon and Pure Socialism. The third volume encompasses all chapters from Part V. The text comprises an analysis and commentary on socialism. The present volume focuses on Ikki Kita's theories of economic justice, social democracy, and the relationship between socialism and the Japanese national polity. The complete translation of the original book, comprising five volumes, is available.

The subsequent assertion has been proffered by the publisher of said publication:

 

This series is dedicated to both right-wing and left-wing political actors as an alternative viewpoint to the history in question. Furthermore, the translation is not merely a direct conversion from the source text into English; it incorporates modifications made by Ikki Kita, including grammatical and terminological corrections, as well as modernizations to the original Japanese text. The translation is accompanied by detailed explanations and updates, term by term, sentence by sentence, and passage by passage. These explanations are informed by significant advancements in theories and practices that have emerged since the publication of the original book in 1906 until the present day, in 2025. The editorial restructuring was implemented with the objective of enhancing reader accessibility to Japan's Das Kapital, a seminal work authored by Ikki Kita, which encapsulates a distinctive and substantial socialist and patriotic ideology within Japan. Subsequent to this occurrence, no other individual has demonstrated a level of expertise that rivals Kita's exceptional proficiency. Consequently, this series is intended to provide an alternative perspective on relevant subjects for alternative rights and leftist groups.

The translator must indicate several points about Ikki Kita and his socialism in general in relation to the volume.

Firstly, the use of propaganda rhetoric against Ikki Kita and the 226 Incident by war criminals and "leftists" persists both before and after the war, driven by two predominant tendencies and mechanisms. The first approach entails the equalization of Ikki Kita, the 226 Incident rebels, and Sakurakai, otherwise known as the Cherry Blossom Society, among other 1920s and 1930s coups. However, this approach fails to identify the critical differences and details that are crucial for a comprehensive analysis. The second approach involves the systematic equalization of Ikki Kita and the 226 Incident rebels with the Kōdōha, also known as the Imperial Way Faction, elitists who also suppressed the rebels under the order of Hirohito. Therefore, the function of the protagonist, Hisae Sawaji (1930-), is that of the "jikenkisha," or police reporter, a role that serves to disseminate the propaganda of the false conspiracy theory of General Jinzaburō Masaki, who is depicted as the mastermind of the incident. This assertion is demonstrably false, as evidenced by the documented evidence of Masaki's conspiracy with General Kanji Ishiwara to suppress the rebels. The most significant propaganda mechanism is present in cram schools and school historical teachings on the subject. Tatsurō Andō (1935-2002)'s Learn Japanese History All at Once: Modern and Contemporary Practical Edition is a prime example of this phenomenon, adhering closely to the two-propaganda rhetoric. The authentic patriotism and fervor associated with the 226 Incident and Ikki Kita are systematically submerged in this manner. Regrettably, the meticulously organized manga Rebellion! The February 26 Incident (2019) by Chitaro Kubota and Hiroshi Kaizuka still fails to adequately articulate the second propaganda rhetoric.

Secondly, it should be noted that a number of neo-Nazis appear to hold misguided views on the matter. Ikki Kita did not officially join the Black Dragon Society, and broke with the organization during the Chinese Revolution. This was due to the incompatibility between the imperialist separatism of the Society and its support of Sun Yat-sen as a puppet and the stance of Kita, who was a temporal freelanced correspondent. The FBI was perplexed by the name that appeared in a U.S. magazine during the course of its investigation into the connection of Reikichi Kita (1885-1961) with the Black Dragon Society. Reikichi Kita, a prominent liberal statesman, was not designated as a war criminal by the GHQ. The publication of the three volumes of Ikki Kita's works in 1959 was a significant posthumous event, and it was made possible by Reikichi Kita's support.

Thirdly, Ikki Kita's theory of Japan's national polity is noteworthy for its exceptionalism, positing that while the state possesses sovereignty, this does not imply the subjugation of the bureaucracy or government. The state is conceptualized as an organism undergoing perpetual evolution, comprising the emperor, the populace, and the land as its constituent elements. This biological conception of the state is distinct from both the absolute monarchy, wherein sovereignty resides with the monarch, and plutocratic democracy, where it is held by the privileged populace or capitalists. The state does not belong to any individual or private entity as a property. According to the principle outlined by Kita, the process of human evolution culminates in the transition from a state of exploitation to one of divine status. This transition, in turn, results in the ascent of the exploited class to a position of ruling authority. Consequently, the ultimate outcome of this process is the realization of a classless society. This approach stands in direct opposition to the tenets of mechanical egalitarianism. The ideological underpinnings of Ikki Kita's career as a writer-activist are rooted in two principles: biological statism and evolutionary socialism. As the GHQ confirmed, Kita's perspective on the national politics remained constant from 1906 to 1937. Moreover, Kita's theory does not align with the master-race-revolution or the party-state theory.

Fourthly, Ikki Kita's socialism is inextricably linked to the Japanese tendency. A common Japanese socialist feature is the belief that the prevailing financial monopoly capitalism (modern and monopoly capitalism established in the 1920s after the world war) can serve as a sufficient foundation for the implementation of socialist policies, contingent upon the consensus among the populace. This stands in stark contrast to the CCP state socialism that has traditionally been associated with the development of new forms of productivity, thereby facilitating the advancement of socialist policies. Moreover, the ideological orientation of Japan's "leftists" has undergone a peculiar shift, characterized by a commitment to a form of "zero-development socialism" that eschews the developmentalist tenets inherent in the socialist paradigm. In contrast, Ikki Kita's socialism is still classical and competitive with Marxism.

The works of neo-classical studies are expected to provide historical reflection and rediscoveries of the buried essence of human history, thereby contributing to the divergent social debates and higher theoretical advancements.

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