was a Japanese political slogan that became popular during the first part of the Showa era, and was popularized in a speech by Prime Minister of Japan Fumimaro Konoe on January 8, 1940.
The term was coined early in the twentieth century by Nichiren sect religious activist and ultranationalist Tanaka Chigaku, who cobbled it from parts of a statement attributed in the chronicle Nihon shoki to legendary first emperor Jimmu at the time of his ascension.

Ambiguous in its original context, Tanaka interpreted the statement by Jimmu, mythically descended from the sun goddess Amaterasu, as meaning that imperial rule had been divinely ordained to expand until it united the entire world. While Tanaka saw this outcome as resulting from the emperor's moral leadership, many of his followers were less pacifist in their outlook.

'Divine race'

Radical nationalist Ikki Kita was quick to adopt the term, and to interpret it as meaning that the Japanese were a divine race destined to pacify the world, by force if necessary. Army officer Ishiwara Kanji, who is widely thought to have masterminded the Manchurian Incident, joined Tanaka's ultranationalist organization in 1920, and by 1928 was using hakkō ichiu as a slogan to justify the seizure of Manchuria's resources in preparation for a war leading to Japanese dominance over all Asia.
Emperor Shōwa and his reign became associated with the rediscovery of Hakkō ichiu as an expansionist element of Japanese nationalistic beliefs. The naval limitations treaties of 1921, and especially 1930, were a tragic mistake in their unanticipated effect on internal political struggles in Japan; and the treaties provided an external motivating catalyst which provoked reactionary, militarist elements to desperate actions which eventually overwhelmed civilian and liberal elements in society.

The evolution of Hakkō ichiu serves as a changing litmus test of these factional relationships during the next decade.

The term hakkō ichiu did not enter general circulation until 1940, when the second Konoe administration issued a white paper titled “Fundamental National Policy” (基本国策要綱 Kihon Kokusaku Yōkō), which opened with these words, and in which Prime Minister Konoe proclaimed that the basic aim of Japan's national policy was "the establishment of world peace in conformity with the very spirit in which our nation was founded" and that the first step was the proclamation of a "new order in East Asia" (東亜新秩序 Tōa Shin Chitsujo), which later took the form of the "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere").
thumb|left|240px|[[Emperor Shōwa and Empress Kōjun presiding the celebration of the 2600th anniversary of mythical foundation of the Empire in november 1940.]]

Holy war

As the Second Sino-Japanese War dragged on without conclusion, the Japanese government turned increasingly to the nation's spiritual capital to maintain fighting spirit.

Characterization of the fighting as a "holy war" (聖戦 seisen), similarly grounding the current conflict in the nation's sacred beginnings, became increasingly evident in the Japanese press at this time. In 1940, a League of Diet Members Believing the Objectives of the Holy War was launched to provide political support to Japan's goals in its war in China.

The general spread of the term Hakkō ichiu, neatly encapsulating this view of expansion as mandated in Japan's divine origin, was further propelled by preparations for celebrating the 2600^th anniversary of Jimmu's ascension, which fell in the year 1940 according to the traditional chronology.

See also

• An Investigation of Global Policy with the Yamato Race as Nucleus

• Japanese war crimes

• Uyoku dantai

• Japanese militarism

• Militarism-Socialism in Showa Japan

• Japanese nationalism

• Japanese fascism

• Lebensraum