Hakkō Ichiu ("Eight Crown Cords, One Roof") Badges/八紘一宇章

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八紘一宇 - Hakkō Ichiu /八紘一宇/ "eight crown cords, one roof", i.e. "all the world under one roof") or hakkō iu /八紘為宇, 八紘爲宇/ was a Japanese political slogan meaning the divine right of the Empire of Japan to "unify the eight corners of the world". This slogan formed the basis of the Japanese Empire's ideology. It was prominent from the Second Sino-Japanese War to World War II, popularized in a speech by Prime Minister Fumimaro Konoe on January 8, 1940.​

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神戸市民運動場 - Kobe Citizens' Athletic Field

體育大會 - Physical Education Tournament

開場十周年記念 - 10th Anniversary of Opening

2602 = 1942

 

The term was coined early in the 20th century by Nichiren Buddhist activist and nationalist Tanaka Chigaku, who cobbled it from parts of a statement attributed in the chronicle Nihon Shoki to legendary first Emperor Jimmu at the time of his ascension. The Emperor's full statement reads: "Hakkō wo ooute ie to nasan" (八紘を掩うて宇と為さん) (in the original kanbun: 掩八紘而爲宇), and means: "I shall cover the eight directions and make them my abode". The term hakkō (八紘), meaning "eight crown cords" ("crown cords" being the hanging decorations of the benkan (冕冠), a traditional Chinese-style crown), was a metaphor for happō (八方), or "eight directions".

Ambiguous in its original context, Tanaka interpreted the statement attributed to Jimmu, as meaning that imperial rule had been divinely ordained to expand until it united the entire world. While Tanaka saw this outcome as resulting from the emperor's moral leadership, many of his followers were less pacifist in their outlook, despite some intellectuals' awareness of the inherent nationalist implications and reactions to this term. Koyama Iwao (1905–1993), disciple of Nishida, and drawing off the Flower Adornment Sutra, proposed the interpretation "to be included or to find a place" for the last two characters ("to make them my abode"). This understanding was rejected by the military circles of the nationalist right.​

1940 was declared the 2600th anniversary of the founding of Japan in part in celebration of hakkō ichiu. As part of the celebrations, the government officially opened the hakkō ichiu monument (now Heiwadai Tower) at what is now Miyazaki Peace Park in the city of Miyazaki.

Interesting history of this minument could be found here https://asiamedals.info/threads/the...miyazaki-and-japanese-wartime-ideology.24848/
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