Joint Declaration of the Greater East Asia Conference

What it is

This is the joint declaration issued at the Greater East Asia Conference held in Tokyo in November 1943, a summit hosted by Prime Minister Hideki Tojo with leaders from countries under Japanese influence. The text sets out principles for a 'Greater East Asia' built through cooperation among the region's countries.

Why it matters

The declaration presents Japan's wartime expansion as liberating Asia from American and British domination, blaming the two powers for the war and for exploiting the region. Comparing this rhetoric with the realities of Japanese occupation across Asia reveals the gap between official propaganda and lived experience under wartime rule.

Look closer

• How does the declaration describe the United States and Britain, and how does it describe Japan's role?
• Who attended the conference, and what might their presence suggest about Japan's control over the region?
• What does the declaration's language of 'cooperation' and 'liberation' hide about the realities of occupation?