Greater East Asia Conference - Daitoakaigi

This conference was held by the Tojo Hideki Cabinet to strengthen cooperation in occupied territories during the Pacific War. It was held in Tokyo from November 5th to 6th, 1943 (Showa 18), when Japan's defeat was imminent. Participants included Prime Minister Tojo, as well as representatives of the governments of occupied territories, such as Premier Zhang Jinghui of Manchukuo, Premier Wang Jingwei of the Nanjing government, acting Prime Minister Wang Waithayakorn of Thailand, President Laurel of the Philippines, and Prime Minister Ba Mo of Burma (now Myanmar), and also included Chandra Bose, head of the Provisional Government of Free India, as an observer. After speeches by each representative, the conference adopted the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration, which included five principles, including coexistence and co-prosperity, respect for independence, and mutually beneficial cooperation. However, as symbolized by the fact that Thailand did not send an official representative, each country was strongly critical of Japan, and "respect for independence" remained little more than a slogan, and the "Greater East Asia Conference" itself did not go beyond the framework of Japanese propaganda with no substance.

[Hideo Kobayashi]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

太平洋戦争中、占領地域の協力体制を強化するため東条英機(ひでき)内閣が開催した会議。日本の敗色が濃厚となった1943年（昭和18）11月5日から6日にかけて東京で開かれた。参加者は、東条首相のほか、「満州国」の張景恵(ちょうけいけい)国務総理、南京(ナンキン)政府の汪兆銘(おうちょうめい)行政院長、タイのワン・ワイタヤコン首相名代、フィリピンのラウレル大統領、ビルマ（現ミャンマー）のバー・モー首相といった占領地区の政権の代表で、このほかオブザーバーとしてチャンドラ・ボース自由インド仮政府首班が加わっていた。会議は、各国代表の演説のあと、共存共栄、独立尊重、互恵提携などの五原則を内容とした「大東亜共同宣言」を採択した。しかし、タイが正式代表を送らなかったことに象徴されるように、各国の対日批判の姿勢は強く、「独立尊重」はスローガンの域を出ず、この「大東亜会議」自体も、内実を伴わぬ日本の宣伝の枠を越えるものではなかった。

［小林英夫］

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