[Learning History from the Speeches of Political Leaders] A 100-Year Plan for the Nation / Challenging the New World Order / Lessons from the Siberian Intervention / The Political Philosophy of the Commoner Prime Minister [Prime Minister Takashi Hara, Policy Speech, January 21, 1919]

Hello everyone. When you hear the words politics or history, do you think of them as difficult, boring subjects that require rote memorization? However, what if you could find hints for solving modern social issues in a short speech by a politician from over 100 years ago... wouldn't that be a little exciting?

This article is a slightly geeky historical exploration that digs deep into the 'words' of historical leaders, as if looking through a magnifying glass, to uncover the era, economy, and people's sentiments behind them. I will convey high-quality information, the kind experts possess, in a way that is easy for anyone to understand, just like reading an interesting story.

The protagonist this time is the 'Commoner Prime Minister' Takashi Hara, who led Japan in 1919 (Taisho 8). The policy speech he gave as Prime Minister for the first time was short, lasting only a few minutes. However, behind those words, Japan's national strategy for surviving a turbulent world was meticulously drawn out, much like a blueprint.

Now, let's stand at the crossroads Japan faced 100 years ago and think about the future together.

Chapter 1: Introduction - Japan's Crossroads 100 Years Ago

January 21, 1919: Where the World and Japan Stood

First, we need to understand just how special the year 1919, when this speech was given, was. In a word, it was a period of creation from scratch after massive destruction.

1. The End of World War I (November 1918)

   • The unprecedented great war that involved the entire world and caused tens of millions of casualties finally ended. This was not just the end of a war. It was the moment the old era of European-centered imperialism came to an end, and the world began to grope for a new order.

2. The Start of the Paris Peace Conference (January 18, 1919)

   • This event took place just three days before this speech. In Paris, France, the victorious nations gathered for a super-important conference to decide how to hold the war responsible and 'how to create new world rules to ensure such a tragedy is never repeated.' In other words, it was the very moment that a conference to install the world's new OS (operating system) had begun.

3. The Rice Riots and the Birth of the Hara Cabinet (1918)

   • Meanwhile, a major incident was occurring within Japan. It was the ' Rice Riots,' where the public, angry at the abnormal rise in rice prices, caused riots across the country. This energy of the people forced the resignation of the Masatake Terauchi cabinet at the time.

   • And the one born as his successor was the Takashi Hara cabinet. It was a groundbreaking event that Hara, who rose from an ordinary family rather than from the samurai or nobility, became Prime Minister. The public called him the ' Commoner Prime Minister,' and placed enthusiastic expectations on him, saying, 'He is a leader who understands our feelings.'

In other words, this speech was a commemorative speech where at a historical turning point where the world was trying to create new rules, a new leader who carried the new expectations of the people on his shoulders officially declared for the first time, 'This is how Japan will proceed from now on!'—its basic design (grand design). Just by having this perspective, every word we are about to read becomes suddenly interesting.

Chapter 2: Toward a New Post-War World Order! Japan's Diplomatic Strategy Advocating 'Justice and Humanity'

'Justice and Humanity' — A Diplomatic Passport for a New Era

The Paris Peace Conference, a stage where the rules of the new world were to be decided. What kind of stance did Japan intend to take there? At the beginning of his speech, Takashi Hara loudly declared Japan's diplomatic stance as follows.

“Justice and humanity.” It might sound very noble and perhaps a bit idealistic. However, this was not merely an idealistic theory. It was a highly sophisticated strategic message based on the international situation of the time.

The trend and atmosphere of the international community at that time were shaped by President Wilson of the United States. The “Fourteen Points” he proposed were filled with idealistic ideas that reflected on the imperialism of the past, such as the “abolition of secret diplomacy” and “national self-determination (the right of each nation to determine its own political form).”

Takashi Hara keenly sensed this new global trend and put forward the phrase “justice and humanity” to appeal that “Japan is also an advanced nation that shares these new values.” This was, so to speak, like a “diplomatic passport” showing eligibility to participate in the new world order. It can be said that it was a very clever move to secure Japan’s influence in the international community by advocating universal values that no one could easily oppose.

The reality of “national interest” pursued behind the ideals

However, politicians cannot protect a country with ideals alone. While speaking of ideals, Takashi Hara was also meticulous in securing extremely realistic national interests. This is well reflected in his mention of China.

In his speech, Hara stated that he would respect the principle of “open door and equal opportunity” regarding China.

• What is the Open Door and Equal Opportunity policy?

  • This refers to the international rule of the time that no single country should monopolize interests on the Chinese mainland, but rather that all countries should be able to obtain economic activities (business opportunities) equally.

At first glance, it sounds as if Japan is setting aside its greed and taking a fair stance. However, there was a clever calculation here.

In fact, during World War I, Japan had taken over the interests (railways, mines, etc.) in Shandong Province that the enemy nation, Germany, had held in China as a victor. The Western powers were highly wary, thinking, “Is Japan planning to take advantage of this opportunity to suddenly expand its influence in China and monopolize it?”

Therefore, Takashi Hara eased the wariness of other countries by declaring, “Please rest assured. We will properly follow international rules. We have no ambitions.” And behind that, he tried to firmly secure the interests he had already obtained as a fait accompli. Advocating ideals to show a stance of international cooperation while not letting go of realistic national interests—this is the realism of diplomacy.

The frustrated ideal—the shock of the “Racial Equality Proposal”

However, this Japanese diplomacy that advocated “justice and humanity” hit a major wall in Paris. Although not directly touched upon in this speech, the Japanese government had made a historic proposal at this conference. That was to include a “Racial Equality Clause” in the Covenant of the League of Nations.

At the time, the idea that races other than white were inferior was taken for granted in the world. In the United States and Australia, Japanese immigrants were suffering from intense discrimination, such as being forbidden from owning land or having their citizenship rights restricted.

In such a situation, Japan, having become the first non-white nation to join the ranks of the great powers, boldly appealed at the center of the world that “human value should not be determined by skin color!” Historically, this was a truly groundbreaking and courageous proposal.

However, the result was ruthless. Despite receiving a majority of votes, the chairman, President Wilson of the United States, buried the proposal, stating that “it cannot be recognized without unanimity.” This was due to strong opposition from Australia, which had racial discrimination policies as a national policy, and from the United States itself, which had serious racial problems domestically.

This event, where the ideal was trampled by Wilson himself, who advocated “justice and humanity,” gave Japan a great shock and disappointment. “In the end, is the international community just operating on rules made by white people?” The sense of powerlessness and distrust at this time would gradually cast a dark shadow over Japan’s subsequent external stance. This is a very important turning point in history that we should know as a fact.

Chapter 3: Why end it? The truth behind the “winding down” declaration of the Siberian Intervention

The “negative legacy” that tormented the people

Following diplomatic strategy, the next issue Takashi Hara mentioned was military, specifically the problem of the “Siberian Intervention.” By the time the Hara Cabinet was inaugurated, this had already become an outrageous “negative legacy.”

To begin with, why were Japanese troops in distant Siberia, Russia?

1. The origin was the Russian Revolution (1917).

   • The Tsar was overthrown in Russia, and the world's first socialist state was about to be born. The Allied nations, including Japan and the United States, were extremely afraid that this socialist ideology would spread to their own countries.

2. The pretext for the intervention

   • Therefore, under the humanitarian pretext of "rescuing friendly forces (the Czechoslovak Legion) left behind in Russia," the various nations decided to jointly dispatch troops.

However, when it came down to it, while the forces dispatched by the United States and others numbered less than 10,000, Japan stood out. Ultimately, it sent a massive army of over 70,000 and expanded the front lines without limit. Without any clear strategic objectives, soldiers continued to fight in the freezing cold, and vast amounts of war funds and many lives were lost. It had truly fallen into a quagmire of a war that had lost its purpose.

The "inconvenient relationship" between Siberia and the Rice Riots

And this war in distant Siberia directly destroyed the lives of the Japanese people. That is the connection to the "Rice Riots" mentioned in the first chapter.

If a large army were to be sent to Siberia, a massive amount of rice would be needed as food for the soldiers. Trading companies and others, noticing this, bought up the rice, causing it to disappear from the market and its price to skyrocket to an abnormal level. This speculative hoarding dealt a further blow to a situation where rice was already in short supply due to poor weather.

"Why is the rice we eat disappearing for the sake of the war in Siberia!" The anger of the people, starting with housewives who were struggling even to provide daily meals, developed into nationwide riots. For the public, the Siberian Intervention was not an event in a distant foreign land, but was seen as the most annoying culprit threatening their own dining tables.

The leader's words indicating an "exit strategy"

It was against the backdrop of this public anger that the Takashi Hara cabinet was born. That is precisely why Hara needed to face this issue head-on. So, he declared the following in his speech:

This was not merely a report on the military situation. It was a clear message to the public: "Everyone, please rest assured. That unpopular, quagmire war is coming to an end." It was the moment a leader clearly showed the public an "exit strategy" for how to end a massive project like a war.

Of course, stopping a war once it has begun is not easy. Within the military, there were factions that strongly insisted on continuing the intervention, aiming for the expansion of interests in Russia. However, Takashi Hara placed great weight on the anti-war sentiment of the public above all else and paved the way for a withdrawal under political leadership.

The decision to admit failure and end a project is far more difficult than the decision to start one. This is a universal lesson that applies to modern politics and business as well. This decision by Takashi Hara can be said to be an expression of realistic leadership as a "commoner prime minister" who listens to the voices of the people.

Chapter 4: The Greatest Investment in the Future! The Launch of the "Education is National Power" Plan

Brilliant presentation skills and the impact of "10 million yen"

The speech, which continued from diplomacy (ideals) to military (reality), finally moves to domestic affairs and the policy that Takashi Hara valued most. The theme is "education." After flashy topics like diplomacy and military affairs, it might sound a bit plain.

But wait! In fact, this education policy was the very "core" of the national design that Takashi Hara envisioned. And the way he announced it is truly brilliant as a communication technique for a politician. As he began to talk about education, Takashi Hara suddenly brought up this shocking news:

"Imperial Privy Purse" refers to the private assets of the Imperial family, in other words, the Emperor's private wallet. In short, he announced in the Diet, "His Majesty the Emperor has heard of the government's plan to increase universities and the like, and has donated a massive sum of 10 million yen from his own pocket money!"

Ten million yen at that time is said to be equivalent to tens of billions of yen in today's value, an astronomical sum. For the public, it had a tremendous impact, making them think, "His Majesty is that concerned about the education of this country!" Takashi Hara captured the hearts of his audience with this national surprise, and once he had their undivided attention, he began to speak about his main topic: the plan for educational expansion. Don't you think that is a brilliant presentation technique?

Why "education"? The bottleneck for growth is "people"

However, why was "education" so important at a time when the war had just ended? Some might think there were more pressing priorities, such as economic recovery.

This is where Takashi Hara's keen insight lies. He believed that education was needed above all else to rebuild the economy and win in the fierce international competition to come.

• The Wartime Boom and its Reaction

  • During World War I, as European countries halted production due to the war, orders flooded into Japan. This caused the Japanese economy to grow explosively, leading to an unprecedented boom known as the "Wartime Boom."

• Serious Talent Shortage

  • However, as a result of the rapid increase in factories and companies, something became overwhelmingly scarce. It was the engineers with specialized knowledge to run factories and the highly specialized professionals to manage companies.

  • From the industrial sector, voices akin to screams were raised: "Please, increase the number of universities and send talented people out into society!" Indeed, the bottleneck for Japan's economic growth was 'people'.

The University Ordinance that built Japan's "intellectual infrastructure"

To solve this problem, Takashi Hara positioned education in his speech as the most important infrastructure supporting the nation's future, alongside the improvement of "transportation, industry, and national defense." And immediately after this speech, the Hara Cabinet carried out a historic policy that would remain in the annals of Japanese educational history.

That was the promulgation of the "University Ordinance."

This was a groundbreaking law that allowed private schools and vocational schools to obtain the status and title of "university," which had previously been reserved only for a few national universities like Tokyo Imperial University, provided they met certain standards.

Through this University Ordinance, private schools such as Waseda University and Keio University were officially recognized as "universities." Furthermore, it opened the path for many vocational schools to be upgraded to universities, and higher education in Japan became popularized all at once. It is no exaggeration to say that the current diverse university system in Japan is based on Takashi Hara's decision at that time.

At the very moment when the whole world was still preoccupied with the scars of war and dealing with the immediate chaos, he looked 100 years ahead and decided that "investment in people is the source of national strength." Is this not proof that he possessed the formidable insight of a leader who could see the essence of things?

Chapter 5: Summary - What can we learn from the leadership of 100 years ago?

"Ideals, Reality, and the Future" — Takashi Hara's National Design

Now, we have analyzed Takashi Hara's short speech from three perspectives: "diplomacy," "military," and "education." Looking at it as a whole, we realize that these are not disjointed policies, but are connected as one grand story.

This speech was a grand declaration of a 'national design' that showed how Japan should survive in the phase of "creating" a new world after the massive "destruction" of World War I.

1. Ideal (Diplomacy)

   • He declared that he would walk the path of international cooperation by upholding the new era's ideal of "justice and humanity".

2. Reality (Military/Domestic Affairs)

   • He addressed the "negative legacy" of the Siberian Intervention, which the public was tired of, and tackled the realistic task of stabilizing the lives of the people head-on.

3. Future (Education)

   • Furthermore, as a 100-year plan for the nation, he sowed the seeds for creating Japan's future through "investment in education".

I believe that this sense of balance among the three elements of "ideal," "reality," and "future" was the essence of Takashi Hara's leadership. Listening sincerely to the voices of the people (bottom-up), yet not ending up just chasing short-term popularity, but instead envisioning and executing a long-term vision for the nation (top-down). Achieving this balance is the most difficult and most important quality for a leader in any era.

To learn from history is to "think about the future"

Now, for the final and most important question. What should we, who live in the present era, learn from the words of this leader from over 100 years ago?

This article does not present a single "correct answer." Because the true value of learning from history lies in knowing about Takashi Hara's struggles and then starting to think for yourself, asking, "Well, how would I think about it?".

For example, you can pose questions like this.

• In the modern era, where globalization and geopolitical risks are rising and the rules of international society are about to change significantly, what kind of "ideal" should Japan uphold today, and what kind of "national interest" should it pursue?

• Where is the optimal balance between immediate challenges like inflation, disaster countermeasures, and social security, and 'investments in the future' that look 50 or 100 years ahead, such as education, science and technology, and infrastructure renewal?Where does that optimal balance lie?

Hara Takashi provided his own answer 100 years ago. Now, what answer should we, living in the 21st century, provide? Please share your own thoughts. History is not a boring subject of memorizing the past, but the ultimate thinking tool for creating a better future.