Abstract: Language planning is a kind of human intervention and adjustment of language behavior, highlighting the developing trend of national strategy. In Meiji period, Japan not only achieved great development in the political, economic, and military fields. It also integrated the original heterogeneous multilingual language forms to build a unified national language, which laid a solid linguistic foundation for the rapid progress of Japan. In Japan's Constitution, there is no clear stipulation of the national status of Standard Language. But in the practice of social language, Standard Language performs the specific functions and enjoys the specific status of national language and official language. Standard Language, together with the national flag, national emblem and national anthem, constitutes the four symbolic elements of the existence of the Japanese state. This paper mainly examines the driving force of Japanese standard language planning from the dimensions of Japans national ideological needs, economic and colonial strategic needs, trying to reveal that standard language planning is actually a product of the development of Japanese national strategic needs. This is important for understanding the deep connection between Japanese national strategies and language planning.

Key words: national strategy, national needs, Standard Language, language planning