Final answer:
Imperial Japan during World War 2 can be considered a fascist government due to its characteristics of authoritarianism, extreme nationalism, and suppression of opposition.
Step-by-step explanation:
Imperial Japan during World War 2 can be considered a fascist government. Fascism is a political ideology characterized by authoritarianism, extreme nationalism, and suppression of opposition. Imperial Japan exhibited these characteristics through its militaristic control, its expansionist policies, and its suppression of civil liberties.
The government ruling in the name of Japanese Emperor Hirohito shifted toward fascism after the invasion of Manchuria in 1931 and the establishment of the puppet state Manchukuo. This expansionist policy went hand-in-hand with an extreme form of nationalism and authoritarianism that allowed the military to wield significant power in Japan.
The ideology of the Japanese militarists resembled that of the Nazis in its racism and belief in the destiny of the Yamato people to dominate East Asia. The concept of the Greater East Asian Co-Prosperity Sphere, presented as a liberation movement, was in reality an imperialist endeavor to bring order and prosperity under Japanese rule. The Japanese government's denial or downplaying of actions of Japanese troops during the war may stem from a desire to preserve national pride and avoid moral responsibility for war crimes.