Following the
Meiji Restoration, Japanese political practice was consistently guided by statism/nationalism as its central axis. In the early 20th century, a radical faction led by figures such as
Kita Ikki emerged from the lower and middle classes. They harbored deep resentment toward the entrenched elite—the
Genrō, senior statesmen, the new and old nobility (
Kazoku), military cliques (
Gunbatsu), financial conglomerates (
Zaibatsu), and party leaders—who they believed monopolized the nation's resources. Seeking a fundamental break from the traditional statism/nationalism of the
Meiji era, these radicals branded the representatives of the old order as the root of all national evil, advocating for their systematic elimination. This ideological rupture was most clearly manifested in their reimagining of the
Emperor: no longer viewed merely as a symbol of tradition, the Emperor was transformed into a symbol of revolutionary change. Although the
February 26 Incident of 1936—a coup d'état attempted by ultranationalist junior officers—ended in failure, it ultimately paved the way for Japan's transition into a militaristic era of total mobilization under Japanese nationalism four years later. == Connection to fascism ==