A Japanese Bureaucratic Mess - WW2 Special

Contrary to popular belief, Imperial Japan was not an absolute monarchy marching (or sailing) to war with singular vision and purpose. Rather, it was a dysfunctional government of competing factions, players and interests.
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Between 2 Wars: • Between 2 Wars
Source list: bit.ly/WW2sources
Written and Hosted by: Indy Neidell
Director: Astrid Deinhard
Producers: Astrid Deinhard and Spartacus Olsson
Executive Producers: Astrid Deinhard, Indy Neidell, Spartacus Olsson, Bodo Rittenauer
Creative Producer: Maria Kyhle
Post-Production Director: Wieke Kapteijns
Research by: Indy Neidell
Edited by: Michał Zbojna
Sound design: Marek Kamiński
Map animations: Eastory ( / eastory )
Colorizations by:
Julius Jääskeläinen - / jjcolorization
Jaris Almazani (Artistic Man), / artistic.man
Sources:
From the Noun Project: company soldiers by Andrei Yushchenko, Government by Nithinan Tatah, Shiro by Simon Child, War by Nhor, House by Eucalyp
Soundtracks from the Epidemic Sound:
ES_Paths of a Samurai - Mandala Dreams
ES_Sights of the Tokyo Tower - Sight of Wonders
ES_The Bloom of Cherry Blossoms - Sight of Wonders
ES_Immovable As The Mountain - Yi Nantiro
ES_Pacific Shores - Mandala Dreams
Archive by Screenocean/Reuters www.screenocea....
A TimeGhost chronological documentary produced by OnLion Entertainment GmbH.

[@WorldWarTwo]

The tension in the build-up to December the 7th must be as palpable for you as it is for us. We are striving to provide a flurry of content on Imperial Japan and the US in the lead-up to the attack, to set the stage and provide a solid background. Keep up with our special episodes and Instagram activity to stay abreast of all the developments and to whet your appetite! Be sure to check out our rules of conduct before commenting: community.timeghost.tv/t/rules-of-conduct/4518

[@QuizmasterLaw]

tension? are you kidding? It's called the PACIFIC ocean. As in PACIFIST. stupid warmonger!

[@QuizmasterLaw]

At least you have the buddhist symbol for longevity and prosperity displayed in the background of your main pic so I Guess there is hope for you 阿弥陀佛.

[@robert_trumpeteer]

I(most people) think you're doing great work! :)

[@alanc3845]

Do you mean wet? I think at the end you have a typo with "whet".

[@joeymurdazalotmore6355]

Ty 4 the content

[@mr.andrew9171]

A while ago I read “The Wars of Asia, 1911-1949” by Sarah C. Paine, and she had a pretty witty quote about the Japanese government and their expansionist policy from the late 20s onwards. It was something along the lines of ‘if you know what the Japanese long term strategic goals were, then go tell Tokyo. They would like to know as well .’

[@silentdragon1555]

Fucken lmao

[@viscountbp]

I mean, sometimes Chinese soldiers know more about Japanese Foreign policy direction before Tokyo does

[@exploatores]

I tought US politics where messed up. with lawmakers on statelevel don´t carring about federal laws. but at least. they kind of got the military in order.

[@viscountbp]

@@exploatores well with so much military infighting, it made forming the 3rd branch i.e the Airforce impossible. That certainly didn't help (spoilers) the defence of the home islands against bombing.

[@ottovalkamo1]

I loved that book, just finished it. It was 10/10.

[@jliller]

Nazi Germany: has a very inefficient government with a bunch of damaging internal conflict and competing interests. In short, a mess. Imperial Japan: Hold my sake.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Germany: govermental mess as deliberate policy by Leader. Japan: govermental mess just grew from old government.

[@floydvaughn836]

Sounds like US. no, really, it sounds like every government

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

Germany: Controlled "Feudalism" Japan: "Feudalism"

[@jimhillman9121]

@@floydvaughn836 I wish I could disagree but I can't

[@PeteOtton]

More like what Amateurs we've been this way for centuries.

[@korbell1089]

Japan: "Sign this peace treaty and please to ignore that army rolling across your country side because...well we really don't have control over them!"

[@Nelsonwmj]

Wouldn't that be funny, making peace with a former enemy and telling them that you effectively have a renegade army that is more of a common enemy for both sides than one would expect!

[@Joshua_N-A]

@@Nelsonwmj navy was less brutal than army or similarly brutal?

[@shivmalik9405]

@@Joshua_N-A Less

[@aregularperson7573]

@@Joshua_N-A that isn’t saying much when the Japanese army committed The rape of Nanking

[@ennui9745]

@@shivmalik9405 I'd say the navy was a BIT less brutal, but when army general Yamashita ordered his troops to evacuate Manila as the Americans approached, navy admiral Iwabuchi refused and ordered his naval troops to stay in Manila, leading to the Battle of Manila where 100,000 Filipino civilians died, many from atrocities committed by IJN ground troops. So...they weren't really that much kinder than the IJA.

[@dominikhalovanic2818]

During the war Imperial Japanese navy and Imperial Japanese Army hated one another. Can you do an episode on that topic.

[@VersusARCH]

Competition over the limited resources in the escalating war. But they did rely on each other. Common in every country, just bit more extreme in the depression-ridden and anything but self-sufficient Japan of the 1930s. Given a little too much emphasis in histories and the popular culture.

[@_ArsNova]

Far more nuanced than "hating" each other. VersusARCH's comment pretty much sums it up. Most of the animosity was just inter-service rivalry and competition for extremely limited resources, especially as demand increased as the war progressed and resources simultaneously became less available as Japan's war situation deteriorated.

[@BHuang92]

Pretty much, especially when what was their choices in where the Japanese want to go to expand. The Army wanted to go further in mainland Asia but that all stopped after the Battles of Khalkhin Gol when they realized they could never wage a prolonged war with the USSR. The Navy favored going to Southeast Asia in an amphibious/naval war where they were faced with *the least amount of resistance* from the Dutch, British and Americans. That plan was approved after the Battles of Khalkhin Gol and becoming a member of the Axis powers which the plan was a success all the way up until Pearl Harbor. Germany also had a problem with their branches of the armed forces butting heads against each other but arguably not as bad as the Japanese.

[@irvlalonde3915]

@@BHuang92 p

[@rogerhwerner6997]

The issues between the IJA and IJN were many. Here are a few important ones: 1. the IJN believed that an Axis Treaty with Germany would represent a disaster for Japan, while the IJA was pushing hard it. 2. yes, there was competition for resources, especially oil and iron ore for steelbut also for copper, rubber, and manpower. 3. the IJN understood that any war with the US would be a naval war, and it was a war that they knew Japan could not win if it were to extend for more then a year. 4. IJN leadership recognized that a victory for Japan could never be dictated from afar and it would likely require invasion of the US mainland; something the IJA would be incapable of doing as long as war was on going elsewhere. Finally, 5. the IJA orchestrated an assassination attempt on Admiral Yamamoto in 1939 or 40. It sould be noted that the IJA and IJA possessed rival nuclear energy programs so there was also competition for scientists.

[@UHCredhead]

Japan: how confusing shall we make government? Also Japan: yes

[@stevekaczynski3793]

Postwar the rather chaotic set-up made assigning responsibility in war crimes trials a little difficult (the same with the Germans at Nuremberg).

[@ww2gaming582]

lol

[@forickgrimaldus8301]

Japan: Yes Evangelion levels

[@trap_kyun90yearsago52]

Ultimate Weapon: Confuse the enemy

[@diegofrantz9628]

Considering this whole mess it's impressive how they managed to fight a war on such a large scale

[@808INFantry11X]

Well what really contributed to this crisis was the lack of control the civilian government has on the military often acting without any specific authorization which in kost other countries would be followed by the entire joint chiefs and military secretaries fired if not worse.

[@808INFantry11X]

That was one of the reasons why Nations like Canada and the US often have strict rules governing military where the military cannot act without approval from a civilian authority figure.

[@808INFantry11X]

The military in most nations can plan of course but cannot execute without a civilian representative giving the ok.

[@panzerofthelake506]

@@808INFantry11X kost? Do you mean most?

[@808INFantry11X]

@@panzerofthelake506 yeah most

[@jrk1666]

anyone who isn't confused didn't understand the situation

[@brafianblackfyre9220]

lol i can apply that statement to half the events in my life.

[@GarioTheRock]

It is confusing, but I have a rough framework of how it works embedded in my mind. Doesn't mean I don't go: "That doesn't make any sense." Still feel like I have a good, but vague, understanding of how it works. Then again, growing up around communists and hearing them discuss the old ways and world, it isn't too much more confusing. Hm, I guess I was just arguing with myself as to whether you statement stands or not, and it does, pardon the waste of a read 😅

[@thomasmusso1147]

Valium reduces it to 'Understanding the Situation but Failing to sed the Problem.'

[@watcherzero5256]

Or is British and is used to constitutional monarchies and how they power the ruler has on paper isnt the same as what they can do in practise.

[@Colossus01]

Still a bit unsure how Japan - traditionally isolationist prior to the 1800s - ended up becoming a state which declares war on practically everyone in Asia by 1941, doing all kinds of crimes against humanity. I suppose I need to go back and see a whole bunch of videos about this on this channel and the TimeGhostHist. channel, hehe. Edit: Yeah, watching the suggested video was very helpful 😅

[@brotlowskyrgseg1018]

Meanwhile in China: "Sir, we're under attack by the enemy." "What? How the hell did the navy manage to get here?" "You misunderstand, I'm talking about the Chinese."

[@thekhans2823]

?

[@trinova9581]

@@thekhans2823 The IJA and IJN were infamous for sabotaging each other and their rivalry. They would even assassinate each other’s officers for a while in the 30s when they were competing for political power.

[@thekhans2823]

@ @@trinova9581 , oh wow

[@AbrahamLincoln4]

@Randy Mi like 2 siblings

[@Joshua_N-A]

Satsuma and Chosu 2.0

[@CivilWarWeekByWeek]

Good to know Japan has always had gigantic beuracarcy

[@ALPHONSE2501]

Plus the incompetent top level military leaders and lower level military staffs always on rampage.

[@HoidingOn]

They did once defeat Godzilla with the power of bureaucracy

[@richardsinger01]

Oh that hellish word with it’s devilish spelling, it defeats me every time. Fortunately autocorrect comes to my aid. It’s bureaucracy.

[@eruno_]

@@HoidingOn It is interesting that "Shin Gojira" movie explicitly makes fun of bloated inefficiency of Japanese bureaucracy

[@schmucktheduck7253]

Civil War Week By Week, nice channel, hope ya grow, subbed.

[@mishrachabra4471]

Indy kept his word about making the functioning of imperial Japanese govt even more confusing in the very first 3 minutes 🤣🤣

[@onekill31]

Yeah I was like "which is which is which?"

[@thomasmusso1147]

A Promise made .. and kept. An Honourable Man of His Word .. 😏.

[@mishrachabra4471]

@@thomasmusso1147 🤣🤣👍 indeed

[@jeffgalus8454]

At least he didn't say there was a test after the video

[@mishrachabra4471]

@@jeffgalus8454 👏👏👏🤑🤑

[@GunnedPoison676]

Oh, yeah. This one's gonna need a few rewatches.

[@FrancoisRoy]

Fantastic host with a clear, deep comprehension of what he's talking about. I always complain about everything everywhere, but you are really killing it. Looking forward to the day which will live in infamy.

[@GarioTheRock]

Must feel good to have people still like your comment despite your own admittance to being petty and short-sighed. I sure know it does, because I too am petty and short-sighted 😅

[@michaelfodor6280]

@@GarioTheRock I think the upvotes are due to honesty and the ability to stow pettiness & short-sightedness long enough to appreciate great work. Bravo gentlemen.

[@GarioTheRock]

@@michaelfodor6280 Semantically, your comment is lovely and benign, but I have my suspicions concerning your intent. Then again, I am deeply paranoid. I meant no offense, if in case that is why you wrote your comment.

[@FrancoisRoy]

@@GarioTheRock Unfortunately, I'm over 12 years old, so I don't really care about the number of likes I get on a random KZbin comment; sorry to hear that kind of thing matters to you. True that am petty and short-sighed tho.

[@Kurtownia]

And I'm just stupid. Nice to meet you guys.

[@GeneralSmitty91]

This kinda reminds me of the paradox I bring up about the British monarchy. If the monarch decides to exercise their constitutional powers it creates a constitutional crisis.

[@mjbull5156]

The British monarchy has powers they are likely only able to exercise precisely one time. So they hold those cards close.

[@battlefield_hackers_exposed]

Maybe therefore they don't have an actual constitution in the UK 😂.

[@zengqiu3149]

@@mjbull5156 Actually the emperor of Japan (particularly war time Hirohito) is more like a beefed up King George V. Although Hirohito doesn't take part in the actual decision process, he has tremendous spiritual and nepotistical influence. A great example would be the February 26 coup in 1936. The imperial command was the final straw that broke the morale of the soldiers taking part in the coup.

[@LinkoofHyrule]

@@battlefield_hackers_exposed UK does have a constitution. it is just uncodified.

[@TyrSkyFatherOfTheGods]

Very aptly called "reserve powers" - which, incidentally, the monarch can exercise in any of her realms, including Canada, Australia, Jamaica, New Zealand, and ten others.

[@AMNG1994]

I did a graduate school thesis on bureaucratic politics and military modernization programs. I terribly lament not finding this gold mine of a video in time. More power to this channel!

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thanks Miguel. Its a great feeling finding a video that gets right in to that niche you're looking for!

[@echo_9835]

Instructions unclear, bureaucrat caught in ceiling fan.

[@mjbull5156]

One of the things that limited the Emperor's powers was that the Cabinet tried to carefully control information given to Hirohito about what they were doing so he was not giving explicit commands contrary to what they wanted. The way the Japanese government was set up going into the World War seems to be the perfect setup for being far too reckless on foreign policy, while also being far too against itself to set coherent and effective policy once committed to a course of action.

[@hay_den2]

Not only in quality, but the sheer amount of content that Indy puts together is seriously remarkable. Some of the best historical content on KZbin

[@explosivereactionstv7414]

They had a Byzantine governmental system.

[@jliller]

What a bunch of Istan(t)-bul(l). Yes, I know it was Constantinople. I've heard that They Might Be Giants Song.

[@smithmitch1865]

NGL, I took Monday off to chill and watch this live. So excited!!!

[@kglguy]

Same here.

[@smithmitch1865]

@@kglguy my man

[@joshuaevans4301]

I have done the same! I am hype

[@farhanrahman7119]

Ik hyped too👌👌👌

[@SmilingIbis]

About a zillion years ago when I was in college, I recall one helpful comment about these mid-twentieth century fascist or militarist regimes that said that these were more like feudal states than modern states. Your position and connection to another person (fealty to a lord) was more important than some official position in some Weberian rank and file organizational chart.

[@PeteOtton]

Very much like gangsters.

[@Jungoguy]

I just figured that Hirohito was a figurehead.

[@LightxHeaven]

While not the main reason, it was probably a contributing factor in why the Allies did not prosecute Hirohito for war crimes or make him abdicate the Chrysanthemum Throne. He really didn’t have much influence over the course of the war and he was politically useful in rebuilding the Japanese state after the war.

[@maximilianolimamoreira5002]

@@LightxHeaven yeah, the ones to blame were the military officers and the army upper echelon, but he still did not make anything to stop these atrocities as much as he should.

[@VersusARCH]

Not necessarily. The imperial family was tacitly supporting the Tosei clique. And the fact that Hirohito played such a prominent role in stopping the war hints he had more influence than commonly given credit to in the US and to a lesser degree Japanese histories - because the imperial system (with US imposed changes) was needed for the Cold War and beyond.

[@biscuit715]

@@LightxHeaven He certainly wasnt against it though. Its a messy subject.

[@mjbull5156]

He had real authority, but he also was treated as a cultivated mushroom. Largely kept in the dark and fed BS. He was kept as a figurehead after the war because he was able to make every faction toe the line. Japanese officials would not disobey a direct command from the Emperor, but they had arranged things so he would be disinclined to give them clear orders before the surrender.

[@SaunKrystian]

"Your're a fool if you think a crown gives you power." - Westerosi proverb

[@benjaminhaslam3152]

Well what is the source of Elizabeth's immortality then?

[@metalgearray6832]

@@benjaminhaslam3152 tea and biccies

[@gruffyddgozali]

@@benjaminhaslam3152 Blood of virgins and Corgis

[@yourstruly4817]

They have my Shogun!

[@lfteri]

You're almost as cringy as this government form

[@viscountbp]

Woke: 3 branches of Government (Executive, Legislative, Judiciary) Broke: 4 branches (Emperor, Executive, legislative, Military)

[@PeteOtton]

By the time of the war what legislative? They had more or less been outlawed/subordinated to the military!

[@ligayamatira2164]

Do the Video about the Stucture of the Italian Government during WW2

[@Kidd-In-Charge]

... please?

[@TrollOfReason]

How long of a video can you really make of a plate of spaghetti bolognese getting chucked into a blender interspersed with stock footage of Mussolini?

[@FlagAnthem]

Massive kleptocratic bureaucracy

[@thomasmusso1147]

@@Kidd-In-Charge Yep .. "Please and Thank You cost no Money" .. my late Grandmother.

[@robertjarman3703]

What structure?

[@weifengyang1294]

Think about it. Chinese government technically become aware of the Japanese invasion before the Japanese government did; both time in 1931 and 1937

[@kenjimuro3044]

Thank you SO MUCH for this episode. From the western point of view, normally people think that the Emperor and Tojo were the "Hitler" and "Mussolini" of Japan, that they had absolute power and absolute responsibility but that's not true and I struggle so much to try to explain how messed the Japanese political system was at that time. When I tell someone that the army started the Manchurian invasion without the government's approval and that it was OK they get so confused. This is important to know to reflect about issues like the Emperor's responsibility in the War. Also fun fact, the Army and Navy were more than just competitors, they absolutely despised each other, pure hatred. In the liaison conferences they were frequently shouting at each other because of any issues, especially the liaison conference regarding the question about negotiation or war against the US.

[@yongzhencai959]

JP gov was messy but they were united on the wider Japanese imperial dream. Internal rivalry had little effect on slowing down the strategic war plans. Emperor Showa's (The actual regnal name, Hirohito was the personal name) responsibility could be summarized as this: He did nothing when he could have done something to prevent escalation from 1931 onwards. It was not too surprising on why he chose this path. He was effectively shielded from the negative consequences should things go wrong. The loyalty of the people was hardly in doubt. I remembered a Japanese writer (unable to recall his name) saying that Emperor Showa only intervened in favor of peace when there was a possibility that the Soviets could end the imperial dynasty.

[@zacharythomasfreeman]

This is my favorite episode so far, and probably for all time because this is literally my honor's thesis. Specifically, that Japan's government was such a complete mess actually contributed to the amount and degree of horrible war crimes and crimes against humanity, viewing the Japanese political mess through the lens of Hannah Arendt's Banality of Evil and The Origins of Totalitarianism. A lot of people, historians included, spend a lot of time trying to find specific people or organizations to blame for Japan's role in WWII, but it's my position that not only is it not just at the feet at any one person or group of people, the dysfunctional mess itself is largely to blame because there can be no responsibility in a chaotic jumble for individual interests and power, and that acts as both a cloak from any kind of morality or oversight and a blank check to take whatever nationalistic fervor you have to an unimaginable extreme. The last part is key, because you aren't just trying to prove you have ultimate power over those you have immediately subjugated, but you are also flexing for those back home to prove that you have the right of might to be the top dog. Add in fierce competition for prestige and dwindling resources, as well as private wealth since Tojo and his gang had been accused by some such as Kanji Ishikawa of embezzling state funds, and you have a recipe for dehumanizing anyone and anything that's seen as the enemy, whether that's Chinese civilians, American and British POWs, or even local Japanese socialists such as Takiji Kobayashi who was assassinated by the Tokubetsu Kōtō Keisatsu (or the Tekko) in 1933. Actually, this would make a great piece for Out of the Foxholes: Could you expand on who the Tekko were, how they were different from the German SS, and details about political dissent in Japan and how the domestic police state operated? Pheraps a bit more about societies such as the Black Dragons and the like. Maybe this would be better saved for War Against Humanity. As always, amazing content, you are truly doing the world a service!

[@JTA1961]

With as much reverence given to teachers & how many in the 60s~80s (when I was there) were classified as "communists" I wonder who is "running" the country now in 2020 ?

[@ohnoa2]

extra fact, usually the genro (council of elder statesmen) recommends the prime ministers and the emperors always take their advice since many of them was key in the Meiji Restoration

[@Otokichi786]

The Greatest Enemy of the Imperial Japanese Army was...The Imperial Japanese Navy, and vice-versa.

[@_ArsNova]

A bit of an exaggeration. While there was much inter-service rivalry and intense competition for resources (especially later in the war), they did rely on each other and cooperated heavily in virtually military campaign of the war.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

US Army says during WW2: Germans are opponents and Marines are enemies.

[@trinova9581]

@@_ArsNova No, no they did not. Best displayed in their near absolute refusal to coordinate efforts in the aerial defense of Japan. They operated separate early warning systems in the home islands, with multiple instances of radars being built and operated separately while practically right next to each other (4 instances on Kyushu, 7 on Honshu). They had separate civilian observer corps that reported only to their respective branch, with no sharing of information. There were only three places in all of Japan where the IJN and IJA’s air forces cooperated and operated jointly: Kobe, Tsuiki, and Nagoya. All else was under the command of one or the other, or was split between the two. The Navy quite often refused to support Army operations, to the point where the Army outright converted cargo ships into light carriers to escort their transport convoys because the Navy was refusing to do so, the Yamashio Maru-class. On top of that, in the early 30s the rivalry escalated to the point of outright assassination of each other’s officers in a competition for political power.

[@kenoliver8913]

Not very different to the US side. To this day, in fact.

[@pagodebregaeforro2803]

@@trinova9581 hi mate. Can you share a link or a key word for me to read more about those assassinations ?

[@hemidas]

Japan's government looks like the Imperium of Man from WH40K.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Except every part of Empire is governed with same level of convolytion, feudal titles and tithes and independent forces going as they want with huge resources, vague instructions and no external authority to rein them and a glimpse of 40k level of horror forms.

[@MenwithHill]

@@vksasdgaming9472 Yeah the Imperium is a lot less centralized than people generally assume - partly because the structure of feudalism is not very intuitive to us now that we are so removed from it and also partly because the logistics of managing an entire galaxy are mind boggling (which the setting itself does point out).

[@vksasdgaming9472]

@@MenwithHill Only drunken football hooligans of wanton vandalism and petty criminal mischief are happy in such conditions.

[@FrankCastle-tq9bz]

This is why I prefer Orks - mor dakka! Mor choppa! WAAAAAAGH!

[@JamesSavik]

In my study of Imperial Japan, it was a military that spawned a government as an appendage.

[@drewdederer8965]

More like the military slowly subsumed the civilian government. "Japan 1941" is a fine book on this period, it gives me migraines and I have a degree in East Asian History. Mention is made of the Army wanting the Civilian government to negotiate an exit from China (so they could have someone to blame for what they weren't going to get). Prime Ministers etc are like "Uh no, you've killed or tried to kill too many of us, and you won't obey us anyway.." So they made Tojo Premier to keep the military on a leash, but he didn't have or want to spend the capital to negotiate. It starts to look frighteningly like "Duck Soup". And pretty soon instead of being in one war they are in 3.

[@cppower1]

Great video - I did just want to point out that while the Army and Navy absolutely did things of their own accord and Hirohito did not rule as an absolute monarch, this does not absolve him of quite as much guilt as many people think. I only want to raise this because a culture of removing blame from Hirohito and putting it all on 'rogue navy officers' has been actively promoted by Japan in the post-war years to try and spin a particular narrative about WWII. I would recommend anyone interested to read Herbert Bix's fantastic and Pulitzer Prize winning book 'Hirohito and the Making of Modern Japan'. He makes it very clear that the emperor was not just some passive figurehead manipulated by military men, but an active part of Japan's expansionist wars and very arguably a war criminal.

[@Tolkiene]

I was about to mention that book before I saw this comment! Bix's book is very good.

[@JTA1961]

But what a smooth transition vrs publicly chopping off his head.

[@ahmadhadi177]

I think the US,including MacArthur, had a hand in absolving Hirohito and several Japanese war criminals,(excluding Tojo and others)of comitting war crimes against Civilians and POWs.

[@matijas9989]

Imagine Paradox implying all this things that Indy just said into HOI 4 for Japan...

[@FlagAnthem]

The Navy vs Army favour balance is a joke

[@quedtion_marks_kirby_modding]

How did the goverment of Japan worked in ww2? Japan: yes.

[@drkookoo1860]

Japan: no

[@hibatyolian2967]

@@drkookoo1860 yesn't

[@potato88872]

"it worked until the sun go boom"

[@gianniverschueren870]

Another nice but simple tie that is completely overshadowed by the waistcoat. 3/5 for the former

[@patrickhutchison5343]

Thank you for this. I consider myself a World War II buff but Japanese government has always been a little cloudy. And no one explains things as interestingly and as succinctly as you Indy. Thanks to everyone at Time Ghost for making these amazing videos. You always seem to know which topics to tackle at the right time. Us subscribers owe you a lot.

[@steelhammer103]

I've watched this 3 times in a row, and I feel like I'm going to need to watch it another 3 times in a row to get the jist of the Japanese Government. Like wtf..

[@thomasmusso1147]

Can I please sit back and watch .. hold on .. I need to go and get my popcorn and snacks ..

[@samarvora7185]

I came here for an answer. Instead I have whole to of questions.

[@pagodebregaeforro2803]

This is the normal way man. It doesnt mean you are slow. Those guys research a lot, Indy does an amazing job but he also needs to be kinda fast, he talks a situation then before you think deeply into it he already is going on the next situation so some parts pass by too quickly, is plenty infos on a video like that, it has to be this way to be perfect, otherwise it became shallow or too long as in boring. This channel rocks👍🏽

[@artkoenig9434]

Many thanks for your perspective! This was very helpful!

[@PuncakeLena]

I only just noticed the portrait of Conrad von Hotzendorf in the background

[@Donbasos14]

Very good, refreshing seeing a history channel not only talking about WHAT happend, but clears up confusion by explaining HOW it all works.

[@Kanjilearner]

Quoth the narrator of a History Channel documentary on Sun Tzu's _Art of War,_ "it's a complete mess."

[@SirWilliamKidney]

This is great stuff, thanks as always, Indy!

[@theeaselrider4032]

Will this be on the exam at the end of the semester ?

[@docvideo93]

Hey, does anyone know where the Japanese carriers are? I can't find them.

[@iskandertime747]

Hmmmm..... they must be around here somewhere.....

[@SuperLusername]

Anyone seen the American ones? Can't find those either.

[@benjaminhaslam3152]

Probably near Indochina as that is where the Army is building up to invade the European possessions in South East Asia. I mean where else are they going to be?

[@yourstruly4817]

Maybe they got...carried away (wompwomp)

[@korbell1089]

Still at Hittokapu Bay, all the intelligence bureaus know that because they keep intercepting radio traffic from them.

[@WWiiIEB]

GOOD VIDEO! very helpful, I would just like to note that I love what you guys do! I am so excited about what is going to happen next and I'm waiting so anxiously waiting for the all-nighter that I am going to have to do for the upcoming Peal harbor episode! ( i live on Guam, past the day line i have to stay up from 2 to 8 am on Tuesday!) as a fellow writer and wana-be historian, i have noticed significant change in the way you do your weekly episodes! the quality has gotten WAY better, and for good! I have been watching you guys for so long and can't wait to see what you guys do in the future! love your work and admire and learn a lot from you episodes! I don't copy you content but you guys have been a big role motel in the making of my channel! LOVE YOU GUYS! and KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK!

[@WWiiIEB]

OH and GOOD JOB ON 565k subs, you guys have gained so many subs in the past days!

[@ottovalkamo1]

Your Majesty, Emperor Hirohito, our 4 carriers headed for Midway have disappeared.

[@williamtomkiel8215]

as expected , a superlative, no stone left unturned over obviously clarifying scholarly piece of work > Thank you but if you freeze the video at 3:05, that's exactly how my brain is doing at connecting the dots for a full understanding

[@l.j.1029]

Thanks for the college level professional information you provide. This channel blows me away, nice work. See you dec. 7th!

[@Magiskter]

I’ve been living in Japan for the past 7~ years. Trust me, it’s still a bureaucratic mess.

[@josephbritt6890]

Excellent show

[@stevenyarnell]

''Keeper of the Privy Seal''? Guess he and Blackadder have something in common! Oh, you didn't know? Blackadder was ''Lord of the Privy''! 😂

[@Dustz92]

I now want a Blackadder anime set in Japan

[@ScottyShaw]

EDNAAAAAAAAAAA

[@mjbull5156]

And that originally meant exactly what it sounds like, the King's privy.

[@kenoliver8913]

@@mjbull5156 Nope. That was the Gentleman of the Chamber, a position that still exists in the UK (though I think he no longer wipes Elizabeth's backside). The Keeper of the Privy Seal originally was the custodian of the ruler's private seal, without which the ruler cannot sign anything.

[@lickard84]

This is my first time watching your videos. I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

[@indianajones4321]

What’s the bureaucracy like? Japan: Yes

[@mikeokeefe2014]

Your a great presenter, big fan...big Thank you .. ! Lived near a Japanese internment camp growing up in Canada was a creepy abandoned place we all partied at in high school , with no respect...

[@rahnkeucher6788]

This was a terrific idea. Thank you for this and all you do. Sincerely and respectfully.

[@yalelingoz6346]

Thank you for this team. I found it hard to fathom how this all worked, and it is a lot clearer now. (At least in broad strokes.)

[@kchishol1970]

You might not envy Tojo, but I keep thinking of his victims.

[@TammoKorsai]

The Adeptus Administratum suddenly looks slick and modern compared to this nightmare.

[@jliller]

In fairness to the Adeptus Administratum, they're trying to run a galaxy-spanning empire using reverse-engineered Commodore 64s.

[@jleeblackmon5340]

Awesome content as always really have nothing to say or add on just wanna leave a comment to help out Indy and team, thanks for all the great content

[@CurtHowland]

Indy! I didn't know you'd done this! Thank you, Subscribed, looking forward to your work.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Welcome!

[@mididoctors]

Best hand gestures on all of the KZbin history channels

[@adelkheir]

This reminds me so much like the Imperium of Man in WH 40k where the Emperor is the undisputed sovereign but because he is interred in the golden throne all power is relegated to the council of the High lords of Terra where they all have to make nice to each other while interpreting the Emperor's will and maintain their competing interest of their own bureaucratic institutions.

[@Horus_the_Lupercal]

Yes, except the Japanese Emperor doesn't have to stay put to keep his home from exploding. Lucky bastard.

[@kemarisite]

@@Horus_the_Lupercal fortunately the Japanese in WW2 did not have psykers.

[@kiwi_comanche]

You guys are legends. Thank you for doing what you do. 🇳🇿🍻🤙

[@NexusofThought]

Cool vest Indy. Great episode as well.

[@jeopardy4100]

9:54 commentary sounds like Washinton today.

[@rosswebster7877]

Great video as always Indy and Time Ghost Crew! This was a really fascinating seldom covered topic. May I suggest sometime a video on either the Kempetai or why Axis cooperation was so lacking and ineffective compared to that of the Allies.

[@cspringer6832]

The current government of Japan seems to suffer the same level of dysfunction - just without the militarism.

[@vksasdgaming9472]

Yep, organized crime (or at least legally shady) being first responder in severe crisis is bad.

[@glenmartin2437]

C Springer Their military will return, if it has not already.

[@geedbinye6087]

Nice video

[@mididoctors]

These sort of episodes are the most interesting

[@markp44288]

Good video, thanks for clarifying some of this... I never felt like I understood who was controlling Japan back then.

[@IJustKant]

Japan in the first half of the 20th century has always fascinated me. Especially with their politics; their government affairs is the sort of stuff thriller novels are made out of. If I wasn't so interested in Prussia, my graduate studies would probably be focused on Japan in this time period. Thanks for the video!

[@martinelliotedwards1883]

The army and navy hated each other. Bottom line it effected the war effort

[@ArkadiBolschek]

Put the Emperor away on a golden throne so he can't get in the way and you've got the WH40K Imperium of Man.

[@cbbnarchives2675]

Intresting piece

[@darthcheney7447]

Ha ha great one Indy. You pretty much described 1500 years of Japanese government. I highly recommend Linfamy's History of Japan. He goes into great detail on how the Japanese government functioned from the very beginning and is quite humorous. I just can't get enough of those Fujiwara women.

[@neilwilliams929]

Excellent review on history well done guys 👏

[@OO-mk1xf]

Love the channel, great work!

[@michaelwier1222]

You're right! Made it even more confusing.

[@brokenbridge6316]

A nicely informative video. Great job.

[@SleepPara]

HARDCORE HISTORY has a whole 2019 episode devoted to this issue.

[@fillythesurvivor873]

4 days left this is so exciting

[@semkoops]

'Do you understand Imperial Japan a bit more now?' Yes and no at the same time.

[@MM22966]

The mess might have actually been lucky: If Tojo and the other military heads had had their way completely as say Hitler did over Germany, Japan would have fought to the end...the VERY end, which, given the suicidal nature of Japanese commitment and the average US soldier and marine's determination to return home alive, probably would have meant half the Home Islands would have been wiped out before the survivors finally gave up, not just badly singed in bombing raids. Full-scale Operation Olympic.

[@macariomatira3234]

Do the Video about the Stucture of German Government under Adolf Hitler

[@ToddSauve]

A friend of mine who is a history professor and expert on Nazi German told me that the German government was in chaos until about 1942 or so. They were still setting aside factories to produce perfume, of all things, while bombs were raining down on them and the Russian front was turning against them. Quite a mess.

[@katalbinson6562]

Nazi Germany had new administrative divisions based on both new and old boundaries, but the federal states from the Weimar era still existed legally despite having no power, and this thus made Nazi Germany in theory a federation, but then again the states didn’t really exist.

[@glenmartin2437]

Thank you for the analysis. Are things any better today?

[@cristiansotelo]

I´m still waiting the special episodes of Ludmila Pavlichenko and the Fliyng Tigers.

[@BercowSandwich]

Can you please do a video covering how the UK and US war was governed? I love videos like these for covering the Japanese and Soviet leadership, but we don't know much about the UK's supreme command, and I'm wondering if there will be a video about Roosevelt's leadership style with WWII, as well as Marshall and Stimson, etc. Plus I'd love a video about the Truman Committee and how much that affected war spending as well as Truman's career in regard to WWII. Love your work!

[@Ashadow700]

..this is even more confusing than the Kingdom hearts timeline....

[@dentoncrimescene]

That's cleared that up then.

[@foxgif324]

Great interesting video! 🧐👌

[@sealove79able]

a great video.

[@WorldWarTwo]

Thank you!

[@wadejustanamerican1201]

Ok you're right I'm now more confused. Lol. Indy you deserve an Oscar for just being able to give this in under 1000 takes.

[@ABCDELIJAH]

You should make a video about the members of the Tojo cabinet

[@joezephyr]

And this explains why Macarthur knew the emperor was not a war criminal.

[@lloydster9000]

The explanation of the anarcho-commune from “Monty Python and the Holy Grail” made more sense than the Japanese government back then.

[@stevekaczynski3793]

"Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony!"

[@chiao_0540]

They look like living in one house, but stuck in their own rooms occupied, except had sole door to the emperor solely in each rooms.

[@benjamingutin9695]

After hearing this I am amazed they thought that they could fight a massive war with the west when it's amazing they could even face a fragmented China.

[@Paladin1873]

Cool vest, Indy.

[@turgaysgc]

Beuracracy is expanding to cover the needs of the expanding Beuracracy 😅 Thank you for the video