Jews & Pre-War Japan

"...in December 1938, the most authoritative proclamation regarding Jews was made....it virtually dictated...norms of thought and action for the time to come"*1 ( Hillel Levine, "In Search of Sugihara" )

*1 Levine, Hillel. In Search of Sugihara , the elusive Japanese diplomat who risked his life to rescue 10,000 Jews from the Holocaust. (New York: The Free Press, 1996. p168)

Outline of Measures Towards Jewish Peoples:

The Decision of Konoe Fumimaro administration, made at the meeting of 5 senior ministers*2, Dec.6th, 1938 (translated by A.Y. from original Japanese)

*2 Prime Minister, and the ministers of foreign affairs, treasury, army, and navy

The maintenance of close and friendly relations with Germany and Italy is axial to Imperial Japan's foreign diplomacy.

Consequently, because of the exclusion policy of Jews by our allies, an active embracing of Jewish peoples to our Empire should, in principle, be avoided.

However, the adoption of an attitude of extreme exclusion in the same manner as Germany is simply incongruent with the spirit of racial equality that we have insisted upon for so many years.

Furthermore, the adoption of such a policy would produce extremely disadvantageous results, in our need to introduce foreign capital for economic construction to execute war under the present state of emergency that the Empire faces, and in avoiding deterioration of relations with the United States.

For these reasons, the following policy shall be adopted in dealing with the Jewish peoples.

  

Policy:

1. Jews now residing in Japan, Manchukuo, and China should be treated in the same fair manner as other foreigners and no measure should be taken which may discriminate against them in any particular way.

2. Jews who are new arrivals to Japan, Manchukuo and China should be treated fairly within the general rules governing the entry of foreigners.

3. Active solicitation of Jews to Japan, Manchukuo and China should be avoided. However, certain especially useful people, such as capitalists and technical experts, are exceptions.