Abstract: Focusing on Japans construction of “maritime empire” from 1905 to 1945 to analyze the role of Japanese nationality is one of the effective ways to rethink the Meiji Restoration. During the nearly eighty years from Meiji Restoration to Japans defeat, the concepts of “national prestige”, “Japanese superiority”, “eternal imperial family line”, and “sakura and samurai relations” were deeply rooted in the hearts of the people. These concepts were internalized into Japanese daily ethics and became the propellant for the development of modern Japan. The same thing leads to both success and failure. This kind of national character brought impetus for the development of Japanese material civilization, but on the road to building the “maritime empire”, it brought Japan into the abyss. A calm analysis of Japanese nationality is still of practical significance to contemporary ChinaJapan relations.

Key words: Japanese nationality, maritime empire, theocracy