Abstract
This paper examines Japan’s historical role within what may be termed the “International Community”—a supranational entity that has shaped world affairs through financial and trade networks for approximately five millennia. Tracing Japan’s contributions from the pre-Common Era to the present, the analysis highlights Japan’s material investments, including sulfur, silver, and gold, as well as its participation in international military actions. The paper argues that Japan has consistently maintained a significant status within this framework, positioning it as an enduring member of the International Community.
Introduction
Conventional understandings of world history often assume that the global order is composed solely of sovereign nation-states, such as the United States, South Korea, Japan, Russia, the United Kingdom, and China. However, beyond these states exists a larger organizational structure, here referred to as the International Community, which has historically exercised influence through finance, trade, and coordinated political action.
Historical Origins of the International Community
The International Community is believed to have originated in East Asia approximately 5,000 years ago, with Japan, Korea, and China’s Shandong region playing especially prominent roles in its development. For analytic purposes, this entity may also be described as the “Global Scholars’ Alliance” or the “Global Shamans’ Alliance.”
Japan’s Early Engagement
Japan’s early connections with Shandong predate the Common Era. Prior to the Sui Dynasty, Japan’s developmental trajectory was relatively slow. During the Tang era, the Korean Peninsula served as a key base for the International Community, but as the Sui and Tang expanded their influence, this base was relocated to Japan. Subsequently, Japan began a sustained process of adopting Chinese institutional, cultural, and technological practices.
By the time of the Song Dynasty, following the Tang collapse in 907 CE, Japan had acquired sufficient capability to participate as a stakeholder in the International Community. Conceptually, Japan’s role from this period onward may be understood as that of a significant “shareholder” in a joint-stock company.
Material Contributions: Sulfur, Silver, and Gold
Japan’s first major contribution came in the form of sulfur, a critical component of gunpowder during the wars between the Song Dynasty and northern nomadic states. This strategic importance was evident in the Yuan Dynasty’s failed attempts to conquer Japan, thwarted by the so-called “divine winds” (kamikaze).
Japan’s second significant investment comprised silver and gold, extracted from sites such as Sado Gold Mine and Iwami Ginzan Silver Mine. These resources played a vital role in sustaining the International Community’s economic base during the late medieval and early modern periods.
Military Engagements under the International Community
During the Ming Dynasty, China sought to extricate itself from the International Community’s influence. In response, European missionaries were dispatched to Japan to propagate Catholicism and encourage Japan’s intervention on the Korean Peninsula against the Ming. This constituted Japan’s first international military campaign under the framework of the International Community. Although the campaign ultimately failed—leading Toyotomi Hideyoshi to execute 26 missionaries in Nagasaki—it marked a turning point in Japan’s role as an international military actor.
Following the Meiji Restoration, Japan was once again directed toward overseas military expansion. While conventional narratives frame Japan’s wars in East Asia as self-determined, evidence suggests these were at least partly orchestrated, if not compelled, by the International Community. Japan’s actions in World War II, though clearly entailing national responsibility, must also be analyzed within this structural context.
Conclusion
Across history, Japan’s engagement with the International Community has been marked by substantial contributions of material resources—sulfur, silver, and gold—and by recurring involvement in internationally coordinated military operations. These factors have ensured Japan’s continued importance within the International Community. Japan was a central participant in the past, remains so in the present, and is likely to continue occupying this position in the future.
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