Political Assassinations of the 1930s
History, Heritage & Religion

Due to the Meiji Restoration of 1868 Japan hastily modernized and began debating the ideas of "Seikanron" (Conquer Korea Argument). Ideologies such as this were fostered through an emphasize on bushido (the way of the warrior) being taught in schools across Japan. By the time of the early 1900s these ideas had crystalized in a population that was unafraid to go to war in order to annex China and Korea, something that they saw Western countries doing already (the vast holdings of the British Empire being a primary example). Consequently a number of ultra-nationalist groups began to spring up in the wake of the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, where military success fired the imagination that Japan may be ready to expand its territories into parts of China and Korea.

A consequence of this ideology was a need to strike out against pacisfism or countrymen that were seen to be allied with the Chinese, or anyone that impeded Japan's militaristic growth. Some of the major assassinations and conspiracies include:

• The Imperial Colors Incident - Spurred on by Isamu Cho, an officer in in the Kwantung Army responsible for the false flag incident that ultimately lead to the capture and annexation of Manchuria without permission from the Japanese government. Fearful that the government would halt their unauthorized military actions, Cho left Manchuria and returned to Japan and founded the secret "Cherry Blossom Society" (Sakurakai/桜会) which was an ultranationalist group that sought to assassinate key members of the Japanese government.
• The League of Blood Incident - on February 9, 1932 the League of Blood nationalist group assassinated Junnosuke Inoue, the former Finance Minister and the head of the Mitsui Holding Company, Dan Takuma. The fallout of these assassinations would eventually lead to the May 15th Incident a few weeks later.
• The May 15th Incident - on May 15, 1932 the nationalist group The League of Blood assassinated Prime Minister Inukai Tsuyoshi due to his signing of the London Naval Treaty which helped stave off an a naval arms race among the British, French, Japanese and American navies. The assassins were placed on trial and proclaimed their nationalist tendencies in the press, swaying many citizens to sympathize with their goals. Consequently they were given light sentences and democracy in Japan was weakened and military-rule was emboldened.
• The February 26 Incident - on February 26, 1936 a group of young Imperial Japanese Army officers lead a coup in order to purge the military of their rivals. They group targeted rivals that had been supporters of the London Naval Treaty that was also the cause of the May 15th Incident four years prior. The rebel army of 1500 managed to attack the Asahi Shinbun newspaper which they saw as left-leaning, secure the Tokyo Metropolitan Police headquarters. The coup seemed to go well until larger factions within the Army and Navy turned against the group, seeing the assassinations as politically helpful for consolidating their own powers and then removing the leaders of the coup for instigating it, paving their own rise to power. The twenty-two ringleaders of the movement were tried and executed (19 by firing squad, two by seppuku), much more serious consequences compared to the light sentences of handed out after the League of Blood Incident and the May 15th Incident.
  
  Pictured here is Yasuhide Kurihara leading the rebel faction during the February 26th Incident.

Similar nationalistic groups that used assassinations as a tool include the Black Ocean Society (Genyousha/玄洋社), the Black Dragon Society (Kokuryuukai/黒竜会), and the Society of Patriots (Aikokusha/愛国社).

Relevance to MAO

In MAO chapters 91 and 92 Shiranui hires Renji to continue the assassinations the Goko Clan was known for during the historical Heian era. The killings that Renji makes are said to be of "pacifist politicians". While the real-life political killings mentioned above are primarily from the 1930s (a decade later than when these chapters were set), the overall air of menace and politically motivated killings are likely influences for the killings referenced in MAO. To be clear, the victims of Renji's assassinations are not named, and so establishing with specificity any historical figures that they are meant to absolutely represent would be impossible.