Nanshin-ron
Nanshin-ron (Japanese: 南進論; "Southern Expansion Doctrine" or "Southern Road") was a political doctrine in the Empire of Japan that stated that Southeast Asia and the Pacific Islands were Japan's sphere of interest and that their potential value to the Empire for economic and territorial expansion was greater than elsewhere. The opposing political doctrine was Hokushin-ron (北進論; "Northern Expansion Doctrine"), largely supported by factions of the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA), which stated the same but for Manchuria and Siberia.