# Senbu

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Japanese psychological warfare operations

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A [Japanese language](/source/Japanese_language) school in [Beijing](/source/Beijing) with courses taught by female *senbu* operatives, c. 1938.

A *senbu* medical team (施療班, *seryōhan*) providing free medical treatment to Chinese civilians, c. 1938. The banner in the background reads "*senbu* project" (宣撫工作, *senbu kōsaku*).

The term ***senbu*** (宣撫) was used by the [Imperial Japanese Army](/source/Imperial_Japanese_Army) to refer to [psychological warfare](/source/Psychological_warfare) operations intended to pacify local populations and accelerate the process of [Japanization](/source/Japanization).[1]

## Summary

The first *senbu* team was organized in 1932 by [Yaginuma Takeshi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Yaginuma_Takeshi&action=edit&redlink=1) [[ja](https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%85%AB%E6%9C%A8%E6%B2%BC%E4%B8%88%E5%A4%AB)] (1895–1944), a civilian employed by the [Kwantung Army](/source/Kwantung_Army), as part of the preparations for the [Battle of Rehe](/source/Battle_of_Rehe).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*] The term comes from the [xuanfushi](https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Xuanfushi&action=edit&redlink=1) [[zh](https://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E7%B6%93%E7%95%A5%E5%AE%89%E6%92%AB%E4%BD%BF)] (宣撫使) envoys dispatched in ancient times by Chinese states to maintain control over regions destabilized by war.

Remnants of defeated Chinese armies frequently broke apart into marauding gangs of *[honghuzi](/source/Honghuzi)* who terrorized the rural population.[2] This, combined with reports of [violence against civilians by Japanese forces](/source/Japanese_war_crimes) as well as the general chaos that followed the fires of war, contributed to panic and brought about a collapse of functioning society as masses of civilians fled to [urban areas](/source/Urban_area) where they could expect protection by [garrisoned](/source/Garrison) Japanese troops.[2] According to the [scorched earth](/source/Scorched_earth) policy (*jianbi qingye*, 堅壁清野) of the [National Revolutionary Army](/source/National_Revolutionary_Army), retreating Chinese forces routinely destroyed the homes, property, and food supplies of local people. It was not uncommon for Chinese soldiers to simply murder locals in order to prevent them from assisting the Japanese.[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

In the aftermath of this, *senbu* teams following the main Japanese force would, through the distribution of [humanitarian aid](/source/Humanitarian_aid) and the implementation of Japanese-funded social development projects, attempt to [win the hearts and minds](/source/Winning_hearts_and_minds) of the populace while also restoring the economic strength and social cohesion of society. By building a relationship of trust with the local people, the *senbu* projects also had the effect of gaining their voluntary cooperation, including the provision of labor and [human intelligence](/source/Human_intelligence_(intelligence_gathering)). Continuing to fight a different kind of battle after the shooting had stopped, *senbu* operatives were praised as "soldiers without weapons" (武器なき戦士).[3] Athletic events were also organized to improve relations with locals.[4]

By restoring the fabric of society, the self-defense ability of rural settlements from bandit raids would be improved. This allowed citizens to better protect themselves from loss of life or property, and at the same time cut the bandits off from their rapport with the apathetic and poorly-educated Chinese populace, who had long since become accustomed to their presence, and their supply of food, "thus bringing about [their] self-annihilation ...".[2]

*Senbu* operatives operated as [forestry](/source/Forestry) and [logging](/source/Logging) supervisors to ensure Chinese guerillas could not hide in densely forested areas.[2] Teams were also deployed to uncover and wipe out [cells](/source/Clandestine_cell_system) of Communists, arrest [Soviet](/source/Soviet_Union) military spies, and infiltrate the [Chinese Communist Party](/source/Chinese_Communist_Party) in order to make arrests and assassinations.[2]

According to *senbu* progenitor Yaginuma Takeshi, "[The principles of] *senbu* ought to apply also to our Imperial Army. We must reform our own soldiers who behave cruelly toward the Chinese before [it will be possible for us to] reform the Chinese themselves" (大日本軍宣撫官とは大日本軍に対する宣撫官という意味でもあるのだろう。我々は支那人自身を善導する前に、支那人に粗暴に振舞う日本の軍人をまず教育せねばならない).

*Tōhikō* (討匪行; *Setting Out to Strike Down the Wicked*), a [gunka](/source/Gunka) describing a *senbu* team's exploits against Chinese communists in the [Khingan Mountains](/source/Khingan_Mountains), was commissioned by the Kwantung Army. The lyrics were written by Yaginuma Takeshi and it was recorded by [Fujiwara Yoshie](/source/Fujiwara_Yoshie).[*[citation needed](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Citation_needed)*]

## The scope of *senbu* operations

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The scope and objective of *senbu* operations were summarized as:

- stabilization and reassurance of the public psyche

- restoration and maintenance of social order

- eradication of [communist](/source/Communism) and [anti-Japanese](/source/Anti-Japanese_sentiment) ideologies

- supervision in the development of local industry, economy, transportation, and culture

- cooperation with local authorities in the establishment of a "sound" (i.e. pro-Japanese) government in China

## See also

- [Pacification of Manchukuo](/source/Pacification_of_Manchukuo)

- [Manchuria–Mongolia problem](/source/Manchuria%E2%80%93Mongolia_problem)

- [Front (Japanese magazine)](/source/Front_(Japanese_magazine))

- [Three Girls Revitalizing Asia](/source/Three_Girls_Revitalizing_Asia)

- [Social engineering (political science)](/source/Social_engineering_(political_science))

- [Perception management](/source/Perception_management)

- [White propaganda](/source/White_propaganda)

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Esselstrom, Erik (2009). *Crossing Empire's Edge: Foreign Ministry Police and Japanese Expansionism in Northeast Asia* (1st ed.). United States: University of Hawaii Press. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [9780824832315](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/9780824832315).

1. ^ [***a***](#cite_ref-lee_2-0) [***b***](#cite_ref-lee_2-1) [***c***](#cite_ref-lee_2-2) [***d***](#cite_ref-lee_2-3) [***e***](#cite_ref-lee_2-4) Lee, Chong-Sik. ["Counterinsurgency in Manchuria: The Japanese Experience, 1931-1940 (1967)"](https://apps.dtic.mil/sti/tr/pdf/AD0648873.pdf) (PDF). *[Defense Technical Information Center](/source/Defense_Technical_Information_Center)*. Retrieved 13 February 2024.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** *平和の戦士宣撫班 Heiwa no senshi senbupan* (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Japan: 財団法人社会教育協会 Zaidanhōjin shakai kyōiku kyōkai. 1939.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** *支那事変画報第29集 Shina jihen gahō dai 29-shū* (in Japanese) (1st ed.). Japan: 朝日新聞社 Asahi Shinbun. April 25, 1939.

## Further reading

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v t e Propaganda techniques Accusation in a mirror Ad hominem Appeal to fear Appeal to emotion Atrocity propaganda Bandwagon effect Big lie Black propaganda Blood libel Buzzword Cartographic propaganda Computational propaganda Censorship Cherry picking Cult of personality Demonizing the enemy Disinformation Dog whistle Doublespeak Emotive conjugation Exaggeration False accusation False balance False dilemma Fake news Fear, uncertainty, and doubt Firehose of falsehood Flag-waving Framing Gish gallop Glittering generality Half-truth Historical negationism Ideograph Indoctrination Lawfare Loaded language Newspeak Managing the news Memetic warfare Minimisation Monumental propaganda Moralistic fallacy New generation warfare Obscurantism Overcomplication Oversimplification Plain folks Psychological warfare Propaganda of the deed Public relations Rally 'round the flag effect Scapegoating Senbu Shooting and crying Slogan Slopaganda Spin Weasel word Whataboutism White propaganda Category

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Senbu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senbu) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Senbu?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.