Modern Japanese revisionism and a return to imperialism?

I know quite a bit about modern contemporary Japanese culture but i've always considered the right wing Japanese to be an interesting footnote that's not often reported on in the western world.

I've read that a lot of the history textbook revisionism and the "alternative" accounts of Japanese atrocities were due in part to ultranationalist groups " Uyoku dantai" who have managed to work their way into prominent ministerial government positions.

If you look at the historical rise and fall of Japanese militarism a lot of this was due to ultra-nationalist groups gaining sway in government back in Japan during the '20-30's through terrorism and assassination. With the combination of revisionism and a modern disenfranchised Japanese youth nearly ignorant of its past it seems like it would be prime breeding ground for present day indoctrination.

The increasing prominence of parties such as the mainstream LDP and its background right wing constituents creates an environment where there is potential for a return to imperial or militarized traditionalism. The current constitution bars a "military" except for defense purposes but from what I read there have been talks about revising that as well.

So what are the possibilities of Imperial Japan returning to give the world another go?

 

None.

The very idea that militaristic imperialism, the very system that destroyed Japan not so long ago, will return is just unbelievable.

Japan is the second largest economy in the world, its citizens having one of the highest standards of living among developed countries. What Japan went through during the depression back in the 30's and immediately post-war were times when real poverty existed. The elder-generations who lived through those times will never wish for a return back to an era such as that. What did imperialism get them in the end? Utter ruin, that's what. And how would a militaristic imperialism Japan benefit from its ideals in this modern day and age? Nothing.

I'm not sure as to what extent your knowledge about modern contemporary Japan goes, but I would certainly like to make a number of things clear.

First of all, this is a nation where even the national anthem and flag is frowned upon by a number of people due to its connotations with imperialist Japan. Patriotism in this country is dead for the most part. Despite incidents such as the textbook revisionism and other controversial events and places such as the Yasukini war shrine, most of the public remain indifferent to what happened during the war apart from the fact that they never wish to return to it again. The Self Defense Force are even scorned upon and to be part of the organization only invites negative feelings.

The ultra-nationalist groups can not take over the country. The main reason is because there will not be anyone to support their cause. What they seek is contrary to what many Japanese people wish for. The reason why the militarist factions gained power before the war in Japan was that they led the citizens to believe that the military provided a way to restore the economy as well as restore national pride. When that failed, economic prowess succeeded in returning both. There is just no need to regain a situation like before by bringing back a powerful military that will be involved in politics.

The ultra-nationalist factions today are not mentioned too often because they do not constitute a big enough driving force to be considered a threat. These uyoku-dantai are considered extremist groups, comparable to hate-groups that promote racism, and for many people here, ignorance is the typical action taken towards them.

Concerning the youth of today, yes I would agree that many are ignorant of th past, but they are not completely so. They do know that what happened back then brought the country nothing but trouble, and as indifferent as they are, I've seen enough to be convinced that they cannot be swayed toward outdated ideals such as imperialism and militarism when clearly that is not the solution. Much of the public know that reliance on the U.S. will protect them from foreign military threats so an indigenous military is just unnecessary.

The only scenario where I would see militarism return is when Japan is attacked militarily and the U.S. and its SDF are incapable of protecting the home islands. There have been talks of re-militarizing Japan, but it would definitely be under close scrutiny by the public and other nations, and their role would be to act cooperatively with other nations in a peace-keeping and a defensive role. The way I see it, Japan has learned that in this modern age, a militaristic stance will only serve to antagonize neighboring nations and hurt its economic status which is responsible for Japan's well being today.

 

Thanks for that great post "Karma", I think comparing that fringe group to a real political force would be akin to considering the neo-Nazis wingnuts could take control of America.

They are simply an embarrassment to the rest of our great nation, as that group is to your own.

 

Another factor is the rise of China as a military power, with its own nuclear weapons. Japan's involvement in World War II began with its invasion of a weak China in the 1930s. Such a scenario is impossible now.

 

I concur. Couldn't say it any better than you did Lou, so I'll tag onto to your post.

 

Do any Japanese display the Rising Sun flag today?

Forgive my ignorance, but how is it viewed?

Is it not allowed like the Swastika banner in Germany, or is it tolerated because it was used before the Second World War?

 

If I'm not mistaken the Rising Sun with the "rays" is not flown (military battle flag) while the single "red dot" Rising Sun remains the national flag and viewed with pride.

Now the Swastika was a "party flag" before Hitler made it the national flag, its Red, White, and Black harkened back to the pre-WW1 flag colors, and replaced the Weimar Republic's national flag of Red, Gold, Black which are once again the German national colors.

 

Yeah, I kind of figured that was the case. I just wondered if it had the same taboo as the Nazi flag does.

I remember in Lost Fleet of Guadalcanal, it showed Japanese veterens in the 1990s preforming a Shinto ceremony for the their dead in the jungles, and they were carrying the battle flag.

So, maybe it is ok for it to be used during stuff like this?

 

The rising flag is never displayed at official events by the government and other organizations save the ultra-nationalist factions and the JMSDF, the latter using it as a way of upholding the naval tradition. The GSDF uses a modified version of the battle flag. The event you brought up concerning veterans are exceptions as it is a way of showing respect to them.

In pop culture though, the flag is quite popular being put on T-shirts, hachimaki (head-bands) as well as in small time advertisements for pachinko and other forms of entertainment but for all these, the main intent is not to promote militaristic attitudes but rather in a more social sense.

 

In the province next to mine (New Brunswick) there is a waterpark that has a very a steep waterslide called Kamikaze (and believe me, from what I remember, the slide lived up to its name!)

I remembered them selling the 8-ray flag on T-Shirts as well.

Also here is an example of the JMSDF flag

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/79/JMSDF_crew.jpg

 

I'd be interested in knowing how many of those neo imperialist movements actually believe or truly want the old system to return and how many are simply using it as a platform to push their own agenda.

Karma said it best.

Japan having its own army again would probably be a decision that comes from the United States either for the reasons Karma stated or if the US government was to scale back on long term defense contributions for what ever reason. If that does happen, I don't see why the Japanese government would want to return to any militaristic roots especially considering all the advances they've made in various sectors since the war ended.

 

I am shocked by some of the rather open statements made by former veterans of the imperial Japan forces who are still around today. Here's an example of what i'm talking about:
YouTube - Japan's Dirty Secret - Japan

An Australian documentary even interviews an obvious war criminal who was one of the "researchers" of UNIT 731 living a comfortable life looking smug on camera stuffing his face with prime beef whilst referring to his victims in old dehumanizing terminology (logs) and saying he would do it all over again if he had the chance. Guys like this should have had a noose slipped around their neck after the war but unfortunately MacArthur cut a deal with some of these men and have allowed a terrible legacy to endure without justice. I hope whatever biological warfare material confiscated by the U.S. was worth it but I don't think it was ever declassified in depth so we'll never know if it was necessary.

It's also fairly outrageous that various class A war criminals such as Masaji Kitano went on to become head of a pharmaceutical company. I guess the equivalent would be if Josef Mengele were to have become the head of Merck pharm in Germany.

The fact that people like this are treated as heroes or an indifferent shrug in modern Japan while excused with cultural double speak is frankly disgusting and cowardly. As well as a huge slap in the face to the men and women who fought against this.

I recently listened to a series of old interviews by Pacific war vets like Eugene Sledge. He even mentions the antipathy a lot of vets like him had towards Japan up to the current era because of the cultural apologist attitude towards the War. This is a sentiment i've heard echoed through nearly all pacific war campaign vets from several nationalities.

Eugene sledge interview
Studs Terkel : Conversations with America

 

Karma certainly gets the nod here....

Japan has more than left it's sordid militarism well behind it, and gotten on with the business of business in a manner that can only be said to be the envy of the civilized world.

Taking the maxim to heart that "Business is war!", the Japanese people have risen, Shoho like from the ashes. My daughter is travelling to Japan later this year. Her school group's first stop is the Peace Museum at Hiroshima. Hopefully, she will learn what the consequences of un-checked militarism are for herself....utter devastation. I have given her a copy of "Ruin From the Air" as a companion piece for her visit.

Domo Arigato Guzimasu

 

I share your sentiments wholeheartedly Cinematic. The fact that war criminals have slipped through the noose and lead long and comfortable lives when they do not deserve it angers me greatly. Although the Japanese culture is vastly different and in cases such as these, criticized, I will agree that these war criminals deserve due punishment regardless of whatever cultural differences there are. Same with the enshrinement of war criminals in Yasukuni Shrine.

But for the rest of Japan, like you said in one other post elsewhere that I recollect, within Japan, WWII itself is never put in the limelight. For one, WWII is hardly ever learned in schools, and even when it is taught to students, there are absolutely no mention of war crimes. Added to this lack of information is the whole indifference of this event in the past. What open sentiments of the war exist are those of the elderly generation who commemorate events such as the fire and atomic bombings and promote peace, and the rantings of the right-wing extremists, the latter certainly holding much less weight. As much as this is criticized, the war itself is, like as mentioned in the video, a "taboo" subject and is hardly ever expanded upon, and unlike Western culture, outspokenness is not a characteristic within the culture. However I question your statement concerning that these war criminals, in modern Japan, when clearly recognized for who they are and what they have done, are treated like heroes by the public.... No matter how indifferent a typical Japanese person may be towards the war, if informed correctly that certain individuals were perpetrators of war crimes, then I would hardly believe that exoneration of these criminals by the public would follow.

Last year though when I visited Nagasaki, I naturally visited the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum. To my great surprise the entire concluding section of the museum exhibit route was dedicated to the victims of the war and there were many references to overseas war crimes perpetrated by the Japanese military. I remember one sentence where it clearly stated that the bombs being dropped on Japan were the result of us waging war. Apparently there were a few other museums that were solely dedicated to the victims of war crimes that unfortunately I was unable to visit. Despite the strong social pressure against the war, there are still organizations that do attempt to share the truth and expose what really occurred. What the general education of this country tried to hide is exactly what these actions are trying to show. I also always hope that with the modern benefit of the internet, the truth about Japan's role in the war as well as the war criminals and crimes themselves can be revealed to more Japanese people here.