Propaganda in imperial Japan , in the period just before and during World War II , was designed to assist the ruling government of Japan during that time . Many of its elements were continuous with pre-war elements of Shōwa statism , including the principles of kokutai , hakkō ichiu , and bushido . New forms of propaganda were developed to persuade occupied countries of the benefits of the Greater Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere , to undermine American troops ' morale , to counteract claims of Japanese atrocities , and to present the war to the Japanese people as victorious . It started with the Second Sino-Japanese War , which merged into World War II . It used a large variety of media to send its messages
Japanese atrocities
Japanese war crimes
Propaganda in Japan during the Second Sino-Japanese War and World War II