ABSTRACT
This chatper discusses a peculiar fusion between the establishment and the ultra radical opposition thinkers in a period of crisis with special reference to the well-known but often misunderstood Kita Ikki. Kita, a native of Sado island, Niigata, is usually called a founder of Japanese ‘fascism’ and a leading rightist. Before examining Kita’s thought, it is necessary to make some brief comments on Japanese fascism. As is generally known, the following factors were missing in Japan: a successful coup d’état like the march on Rome in 1922, or Hitler’s seizure of political power in 1933. Kita called for the abolition of the financial, military, bureaucratic, and political-party elite cliques that intervened between the Emperor and the populace. Kita wrote his Outline in China in the midst of intense anti-Japanese feeling among the Chinese. The impact of the Pacific War produced a drastic change in the way Kita’s views were considered.
