“Asia for Asians”: Revisiting Pan-Asianism through the Propaganda Arts of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Abstract The slogan “Asia for Asians” has been a central concept of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere and propagated by Japan as it imperialized parts of East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and Oceania. Without bias to the resulting historical developments and realities, Pan-Asianism is revisited through the propaganda arts and materials proliferated by the Empire of Japan towards its agenda of a unified Asia. Aided by knowledge of art history and criticism, six specifically chosen propaganda arts are analyzed using theories of image analysis drawing from the works of Guillermo (2001), Bartmański, Alexander, and Giesen (2012), and Ross (2002). Three main themes are analyzed: the image of the sphere, the collective identity of the countries in the sphere under Japan, and the meaning of co-prosperity. The themes provide an insight into the development of Pan-Asianism as propagated by the Japanese Empire in its attempt towards Pan-Asianism through the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.