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The '''''Hōkōkai''''' ({{langx|ja|奉公会|Hōkōkai|Service Society}}, {{langx|id|Himpunan Kebaktian Rakjat}}) were associations formed by the [[Empire of Japan]] on 8 January 1944 to replace the ''[[Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (Indonesia)|Pusat Tenaga Rakyat]]'' (''Putera''; "People's Power Center") during the [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies]] (present-day [[Indonesia]]) in [[World War II]]. The original incarnation of the ''Hōkōkai'' was formed on [[Java]] by the commander of the [[Sixteenth Army (Japan)|Sixteenth Army]], General [[Kumakichi Harada]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://jakarta.go.id/artikel/konten/1130/djawa-hokoka |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210613224718/https://jakarta.go.id/artikel/konten/1130/djawa-hokoka |archive-date=2021-06-13 |title=DJAWA HOKOKA|author=<!--Not stated-->|date=2017|website=jakarta.go.id|access-date=4 July 2022}}</ref> after the Japanese realized that the ''Putera'' had exacerbated the desire for Indonesian independence rather than promote Japan's local interests in its war against the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]].
Unlike ''Putera'', the ''Hōkōkai'' avoided inclusion of Japanese officials in its membership. Instead, members were community leaders from across social classes, both [[native Indonesians]] and other ethnic groups such as the [[Chinese Indonesians|Chinese]], [[Indian Indonesians|Indians]], and [[Arab Indonesians|Arabs]].<ref>{{cite book|last1=Zed|first1=Mestika|last2=Amri|first2=Emizal|author3=Edmihardi|date=2002|title=Sejarah perjuangan kemerdekaan 1945-1949 di Kota Padang dan sekitarnya|language=id|location=[[Jakarta]]|publisher=Yayasan Citra Budaya Indonesia|isbn=9789799583055}}</ref>
==On Java==
[[File:Sukarno, Kami Perkenalkan (1954), p9.jpg|thumb|[[Sukarno]] was the main adviser to the Javanese ''Hōkōkai''.]]
The ''Jawa Hōkōkai'' (ジャワ奉公会, "Javanese Service Society") was an official organization of the occupation authority and under direct supervision of Japanese officials.<ref name=pss2>{{cite book|author1=Drs. Tugiyono Ks.|author2=Drs. Tri Widiarto, M.Pd.|author3=Drs. Henny Dewi Koeswanti, M.Pd.|author4=Drs. Sunardi|author5=Drs. Jono Trimanto|author6=Drs. Mirza Fansyuri|author7=Ratna Evy Kristina, S.Pd.|date=|title=Pengetahuan Sosial Sejarah 2|language=id|location=[[Jakarta]]|publisher=Grasindo|isbn=9789797323837}}</ref> The purpose of its establishment was to gather people's energy, both physically and mentally in accordance with ''Hōkō seishin'' (奉公精神, "Service spirit"). This "service spirit" focused on the values of self-sacrifice, unity, and obedience. In charge of the association was a representative of the Japanese military government (軍政官, ''Gunseikan''), and [[Sukarno]] and [[Hasyim Asy'ari]] became its main advisers. The ''Jawa Hōkōkai'' was a central organization around which a collection of professional and social associations formed, including the ''Ishi Hōkōkai'' (医師奉公会, "Doctors' Service Society"), the ''Kyōiku Hōkōkai'' (教育奉公会, "Educators' Service Society"), the ''[[Fujinkai]]'' (婦人会, "Women's Association") and the [[Keimin Bunka Shidōsho|Institute for People's Education and Cultural Guidance]] (啓民文化指導所, ''Keimin Bunka Shidōsho''). The ''Jawa Hōkōkai'' was responsible for the mobilization and deployment of goods and individuals that were considered useful for the war effort. Members were youths between the ages of 14 and 22 years old,<ref>{{cite book|last=|first=|date=|title=Sejarah|language=id|location=[[Jakarta]]|publisher=Yudhistira Ghalia Indonesia|isbn=9789797461959}}</ref> divided into neighborhood associations of 10 to 20 families.
===Activities===
In accordance with its values of self-sacrifice, unity, and obedience to the Japanese, the three basics of the ''Jawa Hōkōkai'' were to:
* Do everything with sincerity and with all your might to realize the interests of Japan in the [[Pacific War|Greater East Asia War]].
* Lead the people to donate all their energy, based on a sense of [[Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere|brotherhood among fellow nations]].
* Strengthen the [[Defenders of the Homeland]] (PETA; {{langx|id|Pembela Tanah Air}}, {{langx|ja|郷土防衛義勇軍|Kyōdo Bōei Giyūgun}}).<ref name=ips3>{{cite book|last1=Sukmayani|first1=Ratna|last2=Umang|first2=Thomas K.|author3=Sedono|last4=Kristianto|first4=Seno|last5=Raharjo|first5=Y. Djoko|date=|title=Ilmu Pengetahuan Sosial 3|language=id|location=[[Jakarta]]|publisher=Grasindo|isbn=9789794628829}}</ref>
In addition to the accommodation of the Japanese and collaborationist militaries, the ''Jawa Hōkōkai'' was also tasked with the support of civil organizations in the fields of [[Education in Indonesia|education]] and [[Teacher education|teacher training]], [[Culture of Indonesia|culture]], and business. The society was also given the task of mobilizing the masses for [[Rice production in Indonesia|rice production]], [[Economy of Indonesia#Mining|mining]], collecting [[scrap]], and cultivating ''[[jatropha]]'' to be handed over to Japan.<ref name=pss2/> Any political control exercised by the ''Jawa Hōkōkai'' occurred with Japanese guidance and specifically for its own interests.<ref name=ips3/>
==Elsewhere==
The ''Hōkōkai'' only developed on the island of Java. On [[Sumatra]], similar societies proved difficult to form, because of its wide variety of ethnic groups, cultures, and languages, making it difficult to create a centralized organization.
Elsewhere in the [[List of islands of Indonesia|Indonesian archipelago]], social and professional associations only formed at the local level. Native non-[[Javanese people|Javanese]] nationalists were deprived of a platform.
==See also==
* [[3A Japanese propaganda movement]]
* [[Collaboration with Imperial Japan]]
* [[Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies]]
* ''[[Pusat Tenaga Rakyat (Indonesia)|Pusat Tenaga Rakyat]]''
==References==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:Indonesian collaborators with Imperial Japan]]
[[Category:Indonesian National Revolution]]
[[Category:Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies]]
[[Category:Propaganda in Indonesia]]