Antisemitism in Japan

With no Jewish popualtion, Japan originally had no tradition of anti-Semitism, but Nazi ideology and propaganda had some influence on Japanese people during World War II.

In 1936, Shioden Nobutaka（四王天延孝）, lieutenant general, translated "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion" into Japanese. Shioden became a believer of Jewish conspiracy theory while he was studying in France.

During the war, Yamanaka Minetaro（山中峯太郎）, juvenile novelist, wrote stories that Japanese heroes knock Jewish conspirators down.

In 1973, a book named "ノストラダムスの大予言" (Nostradamus no daiyogen; "The great prophecy of Nostradamus") became one of the best sellers. This book is based on "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion". The author, Goto Ben（五島勉）, is from a traditional Russian-Orthodox family.

In 1984, a book named "世界を動かすユダヤ・パワーの秘密" (Sekai wo ugokasu yudaya power no himitsu; "Secrets of the Jewish power which controls the world") was published. This book is based on Jewish conspiracy theory. The author, Saito Eizaburo（斉藤栄三郎）, was a member of the House of Councilors. 　　

In 1986, a book named "ユダヤが解ると世界が見えてくる" （Yudaya ga wakaruto sekai ga mietekuru; "To watch Jews is to see the world clearly") became one of the best sellers. This book is also based on "The Protocols of the Learned Elders of Zion", and the author, Uno Masami（宇野正美）, is still insisting that the Ashkenazim are "fake Jews", and that the Zionists are controlling the world. According to him, Japanese are the descendants of the 12 Lost Tribes of Israel, so Japanese will defeat "fake Jews" someday, he says.

In 1987, a magazine named "歴史読本" (Rekishi dokuhon; "The history magazine") featured articles titled "世界、謎のユダヤ" (Sekai, nazo no yudaya; "The world, mysterious Jews"), and insisted that the Watergate scandal and the Lockheed scandal were Jewish conspiracies.

In 1995, a magazine named "Marco Polo"（マルコポーロ）carried a Holocaust denial article by a doctor, Nishioka Masanori（西岡昌紀）. Simon Wiesenthal Center protested against this article, so the publisher apologized deeply, and decided to discontinue this magazine.

Aum Shinrikyo（オウム真理教）, which attacked Tokyo subways with sarin gas in 1995, was insisting the Jewish conspiracy theory. They also intended to murder a Jewish TV producer, Dave Spector. Goto Ben's books had great influences on Aum Shinrikyo.

Nowadays, Ota Ryu（太田龍）, ex-Trotskyist, is one of the leading propagandists for Jewish conspiracy theory.

See also

• Fugu Plan

External links

• Jews and the Japanese mind
• On Ignorance, Respect and Suspicion: Current Japanese Attitudes toward Jews by Rotem Kowner. A large-scale study of Japanese views of Jews.