That time when Japan was OBSESSED with Islam

Summary

In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Japan experienced a brief period of fascination with Islam. This intrigue was driven by geopolitical strategies, as Japan sought alliances against Western, Christian powers with whom they felt in competition. Reports even suggested the Japanese emperor might convert to Islam, fueling global excitement and concern. Although no official conversion happened, Japanese officials engaged with Muslim leaders and some even converted. Abdu Rashid Ibrahim, a prominent figure from Russia, played a significant role in propagating Islam in Japan and helped establish several mosques. However, Japan's strategic alliances shifted during World War II, after which their interest in Islam waned. Today, remnants of this era remain as historical curiosities.

Highlights

• Japan once appeared on the verge of adopting Islam as a strategic ally move. 🤝
• The 19th-century industrial boom led Japan to rethink its global alliances, including with Muslim nations. 🚀
• Prominent figures like Abdu Rashid Ibrahim played vital roles in spreading Islam during this period. 🌟
• Japan's interest faded post-World War II as they aligned more closely with Western powers. 🛳️
• Despite brief enthusiasm, Japan's Islamic fascination is mostly a historical curiosity today. 🕰️

Key Takeaways

• Japan's fascination with Islam was driven by strategic interests against Western powers. 🌍
• Reports claimed the Japanese emperor considered converting to Islam, causing global intrigue. 🤔
• Abdu Rashid Ibrahim significantly contributed to spreading Islam in Japan, establishing mosques. 🕌
• Japan's geopolitical interests shifted during World War II, and their Islamic ties diminished. 🔄
• Historical remnants of Japan's Islamic obsession persist as intriguing historical footnotes. 📜

Overview

Believe it or not, Japan was once a hotbed of Islamic intrigue, considering Islam as a counterbalance to Western powers. In the late 1800s, as industrialization boomed, Japan sought new allegiances, leading some to speculate that even the emperor was mulling over converting to Islam. This sparked global interest and concern, especially among the Ottoman Empire, which feared losing Islamic leadership to Japan.

Abdu Rashid Ibrahim, a Russian journalist, and scholar were instrumental in spreading Islam in Japan. Invited by the Black Dragon Society, he promoted Islam's teachings, convinced prominent figures to convert, and helped establish key Islamic infrastructure, including mosques in Kobe and Tokyo. These moves cemented a unique, albeit temporary, Islamic presence in Japan.

However, Japan's strategic focus shifted during the world wars, realigning with Western powers. Post-1945, Japan's Islamic connection dissipated as the nation came under Western influence. Today, this unique period glimmers briefly in the annals of history, showcasing how close Japan came to embracing a vastly different cultural and religious path.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 01:00: Japan's Initial Industrial Pressure The chapter begins by highlighting an interesting historical tidbit: Japan's historical fascination with Islam, to the extent that even the emperor considered converting. This sets the stage for discussing Japan's response to the Industrial Revolution, which started in Britain in the late 1700s.
• 01:00 - 02:30: Japan's Forced Opening and Meiji Restoration The chapter discusses the technological advancements across Europe, transforming it into a continent of advanced superpowers, leaving old empires lagging behind.
• 02:30 - 04:30: Japan's Military Rise and Search for Allies The chapter discusses the historical context of Japan's military expansion and strategic search for alliances. It begins with a brief account of China's struggles against Western powers, highlighting the forced treaty China had to sign after losing to Britain. This included opening its borders and ceding Hong Kong to the British. The narrative then shifts focus to Japan, which was also beginning to experience Western pressure. This was notably marked by an American expedition's arrival on Japan's coast in 1852, signaling the looming influence of Western powers.
• 04:30 - 06:30: Japan's Engagement with Islam The chapter explores Japan's initial resistance and eventual submission to Western powers, particularly focusing on American demands for trade in the 19th century. Threatened by American gunships, Japan capitulated to these demands, leading to internal political strife. The ruling Tokugawa shogunate faced backlash from the samurai, who began to push for governmental reform following the shogunate's perceived weakness in handling foreign pressure.
• 06:30 - 08:30: Influence of Abdu Rashid Ibrahim The chapter discusses the influence of Abdu Rashid Ibrahim, focusing on the significant changes during the restoration period under Emperor Miji in Japan. It highlights the expulsion of foreigners, the rapid industrialization campaign, tax and land reforms, the abolition of the class system, and the rebuilding of the education system. Additionally, it notes the government’s heavy investment in industry and infrastructure, including the development of railways.
• 08:30 - 10:30: Islamic Developments in Japan The chapter discusses Japan's rapid industrialization and nationalist fervor, as emphasized by slogans like 'enrich the country, strengthen the army.' This period saw Japan manufacturing its own ships and weapons, raising concerns among Western powers. The narrative highlights Japan's military actions, beginning with the conflict in 1894 against China over Korea, followed by a confrontation with Russia in 1904, reflecting Japan's increasing assertiveness on the international stage.
• 10:30 - 13:00: World War II and Its Aftermath The chapter explores the surprising emergence of Japan as a formidable military power during the early 20th century. It highlights the prevailing belief that no Asian country could rival European military forces until Japan's unexpected victory in the 1905 Battle of Tsushima. This battle marked a significant power shift, sending shockwaves through Europe as Japan defeated the Russian Navy, thereby solidifying Japan's status as a formidable threat. The chapter implies a transformative period following the Meiji Restoration, underscoring Japan's rapid advancements and the consequent geopolitical implications.

That time when Japan was OBSESSED with Islam Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 did you know that Japan used to be so obsessed with Islam that even the emperor himself declared that he was considering becoming Muslim you see in the late 1700s the Industrial Revolution began in Britain as the country began experimenting with coal and other fossil fuels to power machines that could automate much of the economy steam powered ships now gave the British a huge Advantage at Naval Warfare and railroads could be built to transfer valuable resources from the interior of colonized countries to the ports at Sea and take them out of the country country
• 00:30 - 01:00 these new technologies spread across Europe creating a continent of advanced superpowers the world had never seen even the old Empires that were once dominant were now falling behind and soon they would see just how devastating the consequences of that would be in 1840 Britain declared war on China demanding that the country open its borders to Britain's opium trade and within 3 years the huge nation of China had fallen to the British an island nation that had used an AR Army of less
• 01:00 - 01:30 than 20,000 Soldiers the Chinese were forced to sign a humiliating treaty opening their borders to the Europeans paying for the losses the British had suffered and giving up the island of Hong Kong to the British and soon the other European nations began to take advantage of the Chinese too but while all this was happening one of China's neighbors to the east was also beginning to feel the pressure from the Western Po in 1852 an American expedition arrived along the coast of Japan threaten to
• 01:30 - 02:00 attack with gunships if the Japanese did not accept trade on American terms the Japanese knew that there were no match for the American Gun bools and they ultimately capitulated to the threat this put the Japanese government in deep trouble at the time Japan was ruled by the Tokugawa shogan a group of feudal Lords who were initially supported by the samurai but now that the feudal Lords had capitulated to the Western Powers the samurai began to call for change in government and for the
• 02:00 - 02:30 restoration of an emperor who would take control of Japan and expel all of the foreigners from the country and soon enough in 1868 at only 16 years of age Emperor miji was put on the throne under the new government Japan began a campaign of rapid industrialization known as the M restoration there were tax reforms and land reforms the class system was abolished the education system was rebuilt the government invested heavily in industry and infrastructure building Railways and
• 02:30 - 03:00 shipyards and mines and factories a nationalist fervor swept the country and slogans like enriched the country strengthen the Army were popularized and soon Japan began producing its own ships its own weapons and soon enough the Western Powers began to worry in 1894 Japan began its own war with China fighting over control of the Korean Peninsula and this alarmed Russia who had their own Ambitions in the region and by 1904 Japan and Russia were at War
• 03:00 - 03:30 up until this point no Asian country had been able to match the Europeans in military might everyone just assumed that Russia would win this war but what they hadn't realized was just how much Japan had Advanced during the mangi restoration and in 1905 at the Battle of tsushima the Japanese smashed the Russian Navy putting the Europeans in shock now the Japanese were seen as a real threat and they knew that they would need to find allies fast asked if
• 03:30 - 04:00 they were going to compete with the rest of the Western Christian Powers you see one of the things they noticed was that there were tens of millions of Muslims living in Russia and China and that seemingly half of the world was at least nominally United under the banner of Islam the Japanese began to consider Islam and the Muslim world as allies in their National struggle against the christian powers and soon they started a widespread propaganda campaign sending news reports to China and India Russia
• 04:00 - 04:30 and Egypt and turkey and Persia announcing that a Congress of religions was going to be held in Japan and that the Japanese were seriously considering making Islam the national religion and that even the emperor himself was just at the point of becoming Muslim the ottoman Sultan abdulhamid II heard these reports and became obsessed with fear believing that if the Japanese emperor converted to Islam he would Proclaim himself caleff and the center of the Islamic world would move from the Ottoman Empire to Japan soon individual
• 04:30 - 05:00 Scholars and Muslim Travelers began making their way to Japan hoping to attend the Congress of religions and convince the emperor that Islam was the one true religion a new nation was about to join Islam a new people would be added to the it was just a matter of time but as the months went on the same stories continued to be played out in the news and no real conclusion was ever reached there was no Congress of religions the emperor was not on the
• 05:00 - 05:30 verge of converting to Islam it seemed as if the Japanese had wanted to unite with the Muslims but they were not sincere in their claims all of it had been a lie but that's not entirely true either there were actually some people who were sincere you see back in Russia a revolution had begun and was now being fueled by the humiliating defeat that the Japanese had recently handed them and during this Uprising a new political party was created called the Union of Muslims of Russia with one of its
• 05:30 - 06:00 leaders being a journalist and a student of knowledge named Abdu Rashid ibraim the next year ABD Rashid was elected as a member of parliament but he was later removed from the government for being an editor of a pro-muslim newspaper and soon enough he was on the Run fleeing the Russian Empire in 1908 he was invited to Japan by the black dragon Society an ultra nationalist group with powerful Connections in the government and while he was there he began preaching Islam encouraging members of
• 06:00 - 06:30 the group to convert including its founder and even giving daa to the future Prime Minister together they founded the Asian Congress headed by a Japanese convert to Islam by the name of Abu Bakr oara with a specific purpose of promoting Islam in Japan in that same year Abdul Rashid brought another Japanese man to Islam named Umar yoka and the two traveled together to mecca for ha umara then convinced a third Japanese man by the name of BU Piro ARA to accept Islam causing a chain reaction
• 06:30 - 07:00 to continue Abdu Rashid continued to meet with other members of the Japanese government and of the black dragon society and he was able to convince the Japanese government to build the country's first two masjids in Kobe and Tokyo many other Japanese people converted to Islam around this time but as the Magi Emperor died in 1912 and the Japanese entered World War II 5 years later the Japanese government decided on a new military strategy temporarily allying with the Western powers in order
• 07:00 - 07:30 to seize Germany's colonies in the Pacific but even though they were on opposite sides during the war the Ottoman Empire subsequent collapse came as a warning to the Japanese who believe they were next so the Japanese continued to fund Islamic Research and projects within the country in 1930 the government founded the great Japan Muslim League and during this time over a hundred books and journals on Islam were published in Japan and the government forged alliances with the Muslim leaders around the world world
• 07:30 - 08:00 and as the Japanese empire grew to conquer Indonesia Malaysia the Philippines and China Japan continued to use Islam to incorporate the Muslim peoples from those lands into the new Empire though this was not always to the benefit of the Muslims eventually just like the Ottoman Empire the Japanese 2 would fall and in 1945 at the end of World War II Japan was occupied by the US and its government and Military were disbanded Japan was now firmly placed under the influence of of the US and its
• 08:00 - 08:30 allies and much of the Muslim world was under Western occupation as well and with that the Japanese connection to the Muslim world was extinguished and only a few remnants remain as a reminder of that time less than a 100 years ago when the Japanese empire was obsessed with Islam like And subscribe for more Muslim facts
• 08:30 - 09:00 Kad and Hadi