In many regards, the First Sino-Japanese War and the actions and situations that immediately preceded the outbreak of full-on warfare can be seen as an extension of the exact policy debate that made up the Seikanron, with the need for either control or liberation (from China) of Korea having become even more pressing in the twenty years since the Seikanron inflamed Japanese politics (Paine 2003). Seen in this context, it is actually surprising that the First Sino-Japanese War took as long to come about as it did.
Japanese War Propaganda
The First Sino-Japanese War was recorded not simply by reports from the battlefield, but also by artists back home in Japan, making detailed woodblock prints from these battlefield reports. In keeping with many of the cultural and psychological motivations and justifications for the war, these prints reinforced concepts of Japanese superiority while at the same time evoking the sense that Japan was triumphing over "Asia," or at least the old Asian modes and power structures embodied by the Chinese enemy that met defeat again and again at the hands of the Japanese (MIT 2011). This can be seen in many of the details of the different series of woodblock prints, including the Western style and coloring of Japan's warships (which were built largely in Britain and France) (MIT 2011; Paine 2003).
In the series titled, "The Predictable Pose of the Hero," one print in particular stands out for some of the details that emerge. In The Skillful Harada J-kichi of the First Army in the Attack on Hyonmu Gate Leads the Fierce Fight by Mizuno Toshikata, a smartly dressed Japanese soldier is standing over and fending off a group of Chinese warriors that are more poorly...
What is most striking, however, is that the facial expressions and even the gestures of many of these Chinese fighters seem to indicate that they are not trying simply to attack the Japanese solder, but might actually be pleading with him and trying to gain access to Japan (MIT 2011). Pictures such as these let Japanese citizens see themselves as the pinnacle of achievement and civilization in Asia, something that even their enemies desired. Japanese dominance and bravery are also clearly exemplified throughout the many woodblock prints in the collection from this conflict (MIT 2011).
Conclusion
There were several major causes for the First Sino-Japanese War, but essentially it was the emergence and insistence on Japanese independence that brought this conflict to a head. The rise in the sense of Japanese nationalism and the nation's fears regarding Chinese control of Korea went hand in hand, and as Japan emerged from isolation it felt a very real need to assert some level of control in a region it was increasingly looking beyond. In many ways, this perspective continues in Japan today.
References
Jansen, M. (1994). Makamoto Ry-ma and the Meiji Restoration. New York: Columbia University Press.
Mamoru, T. (2005). Distortion in the Study of Japanese Modern and Contemporary Economic History. Yokohama: Shumpusha Publishing.
MIT. (2011). Throwing off Asia. Accessed 29 June 2011. http://ocw.mit.edu/ans7870/21f/21f.027/throwing_off_asia_02/visnav_ii_c.html
Paine, S. (2003). The Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895. New York: Cambridge University Press.
