The censorship of the press and the constant monitoring of the school system allowed the Japanese to keep a watchful eye on Korean nationalist movements. Initially the Japanese administration ruled without leniency, but after the March First Movement the re-evaluation of tactics gave way to a more understanding approach in dealing with the Koreans. "In short rule by brute force gave way to administrative finesse." (Imperial Japan, 311). Though the Japanese improved standards of living within its colonies, the feelings of resentment remained constant throughout the Japanese occupation of Korea. "The Formosan Chinese under Japanese rule, had improved in economic condition as the Koreans had; but like the Koreans they hated their masters and all their ways." (Imperial Japan, 72). The discontent of the Koreans initially stemmed from the occupation, and annexation of their country by the Japanese, but it also arose due to the manipulation and propaganda of the Japanese government. A. Morgan Young asserts in his text Imperial Japan that the factors that led to the harsh feeling of resentment are not only due to the occupation of Korea, but from the policies adopted by the Japanese in regards to censorship, and unequal civil rights.

The three analyzed texts do concern very different aspects of the Japanese empire but the varying perspectives allow for a more vast understanding of Imperial Japan. First I would like to examine the expansion of colonization in North East Asia. In a time when European powers had nearly divided all the territories of world, Japan began to initiate a new perspective concerning their involvement in world affairs. This adoption of alternative views stemmed from the Japanese concern of further western advancement in Asia. " In the early years the threatening international setting of late 19th century imperialism was usually invoked to stress the defensive and reactive nature of Japanese imperial expansion which was described as a movement to pre-empt European control of areas essential to Japanese stability and strength" (Japanese Colonial Empire, 28). This idea is significant as the contributors of Japanese Colonial Empire are equating that it was more a reaction of the Japanese (after being accepted as a world power at the conclusion of the first Sino-Japanese War) in response to the western powers interests in Asia that initiated the Japanese Imperial doctrine. In turn, it is possible to view this situation as being resultant due to the instability of the region of North East Asia, and the intrigue that it created among the Western powers. The idea of imperialism was inaugurated within Japan due to the threats of foreign powers, while the justification of imperialism was inherent within Japanese culture. " Meiji Japan had every reason to pursue an imperialist path, and there were no real inhibitors against doing so in Japanese traditional or social thought" (Japanese Colonial Empire, 54). This line of thinking was detrimental to the Korean way of life, as Japan would soon initiate the unequal treaty system in Korea that they themselves had been subjugated under.

Another important aspect of Christianity in Korea was that it allowed for discussion, and organization that was not scrutinized by the Japanese government. " In both colonies the Christian movement represented an organization which was outside the Japanese control." (The Cross and the Rising Sun, 81). The concepts of Japanese education, and the spread of Christianity were of major concern to the Japanese government as " In Taiwan and Korea, the colonial educational authorities saw education as the prime means to assimilate their colonial subjects, and they tried to make sure that no anti-Japanese or independent sentiment was introduced through private, or mission schools." (The Cross and the Rising Sun, 84) By monitoring the education and religion of its subjugated people the Japanese attempted to gradually assimilate t

Some topics in this essay:
Colonial Empire, Imperial Japan, Rising Sun, East Asia, Korea Japanese, NE Asia, Japanese Empire, Asia European, March Movement-, Dynasty China, japanese colonial, japanese colonial empire, colonial empire, imperial japan, korean peninsula, korean people, rising sun, japanese empire, cross rising sun, cross rising, occupation korea, japanese government, north east asia, korean peninsula people, japanese occupation korea,