The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere

Project Description

The Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere was a Pan-Asian dream of Japanese militarists during World War II.  Ideally, it would consist of a Center (Japan), an Inner Zone (Manchuria + North China + Korea) and two Outer Zones (Southeast Asia and Indo-China Peninsula).  Though Japan never realized this blueprint through military power, its economic ties and cultural ties with all the above regions continue to increase till today. 

In this final creative project, students research Japan’s economic and cultural exchanges with its near and far neighbours after WWII, and demonstrate their findings on a collection of country maps of today’s East and Southeast Asia.