Nationalism in Japan - Report Example

Nationalism in Japan Inserts His/Her Inserts Inserts Nationalism in Japan Ever since the Liberal Democratic Party achieved a landslide victory in Japan, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been pushing for increasing nationalism. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s push however, has led to concerns that Japan will become more isolated from its neighboring countries as well as the rest of the world. In the past, it has been noted that Japan displayed amnesia on the role the country played in the atrocities committed in World War I. On December, 2013, the prime minister visited the Yakusuni shrine, which was set up to commemorate Japan’s war dead some of whom were war criminals in World War II (Fackler, 2014). This visit was however criticized by many neighbors of the country such as South Korea, China and even the United States. The United States stated its concerns on how the current Japanese leadership was taking steps that would aggravate tension between Japan and Its neighbors. Currently, the resurgence of Japan’s nationalism in the past two decades has drawn a lot of attention from political analysts and academics. The foreign policies of Japan in the last few years has been characterized as more assertive and proactive than traditional policy and has been criticized as being influenced by nationalistic ideals (Editorial Board, 2013). The visits to the Yasukuni Shrine by the previous Prime Minister Junishiro Konichoni and the current Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have led to international tensions between the country and China, and have resulted in the deterioration of the bilateral relationship (Ling, 2013). In 1985, Prime Minster Nakasone relinquished his visit and worship at the Yasukuni Shrine out of consideration for Japan’s neighboring countries (Lam, 2005). Over the Years, several Prime Ministers upheld this practice until Prime Ministers Shinzo’s first rule followed by Konishoni. This change in practice has been seen as a rise of nationalistic ideals that have subjugated Japanese responsibilities to its neighboring countries. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has been, and still is, regarded as a staunch nationalist with a revisionist historical view. During his leadership, he has insisted on establishing a more assertive diplomacy in the region and has taken a rigid policy toward North Korea. According to Soeya, Takodoro and Welch (2011), a nationalistic agenda led by increasing nationalistic actors can be viewed in the various policies adopted by the country. Some of these policies include confirmation of the Japan-US alliance, and involvement in the war on terror, a dedication to human security activities. Apart from deteriorating China-Japan relationship, the relationship between South Korea and Japan has not been at its highest due to the issue of comfort women (Jeans, 2005). Over the years, South Korea has been increasingly criticized Japan on its stance that the comfort women. In 2007, Shinzo Abe held that there was no proof that the government did in fact keep comfort girls (Ling, 2013). Despite having paid compensation in the past, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s view has created some tension between South Korea and Japan. Supporters of the Prime Minister have argued that Japan should not be singled out since the United States and the Allied Forces also engaged in the rape of women during this time. The current administration is trying very hard to present a picture of Japan that is clear of war atrocities to the world, but in the process creating enemies among its neighbors. The publication of Japanese Historical Textbooks portraying Japan in a positive light has also been on the rise. These textbooks, however are very controversial as they downplay Japanese role in World War II and the atrocities committed (Matthews, 2003). In February 2014, Noki Hyakuta, a controversial novelist was appointed by the Prime Minister as a board member of a public broadcaster, noted in a speech that the Tokyo Tribunal was a means for American to cover up genocide and the bombing of Nagasaki and Hiroshima during world war II (Fackler, 2014). Many books have been printed the issue of World War II, but most still hold that Japan was the victim of the war and not a culprit. The Japanese government has been accused of trying to revive a pacifist constitution and downplaying the atrocities committed by the Japanese military during the war all for the sake of restoring Japanese national pride. Some lawmakers in the Liberal Democratic Party have been accused of trying to revise the constitution of Japan with a focus on article 9. The Prime Minister’s main goal is to change Japan’s pacifist constitution that was developed by the United States and restricts the right of Japan to go to war (Ling, 2013). This revision will see changes in the Japanese army in that the army can be used both for the protection of Japan’s border and to attack enemies of the country. This has caused Japan’s neighbors to be cautious in international relations with the country. In the past two years, territorial disputes over the five uninhabited islands in the waters of the East China Sea have risen between China and Japan. One of the main reasons that have been agreed about by scholars from both countries is that national pride has been rising in both countries over the years. According to Arai, Goto and Weng (2014), there is an ever increasing fear in Japan about losing its top position as the Asian superpower. China has been experiencing financial success over the past few years, thus reinforcing patriotism and an increasing military power in Asia. In both these countries, the issue of the five islands forms a foundation of strengthening national identity and rallying patriotism (Arai, Goto & Weng, 2014). In 2010, despite increasing tensions about the Islands, the Japanese government decided to nationalize the five islands. The Japanese government claimed that the islands were nationalized to prevent the governor of Tokyo from buying the islands (Ling, 2013). The nationalization of the Islands sparked massive anti-Japan demonstrations in many cities in China. Japan’s closest allies have also raised issue on Japan’s amnesia of World War II. Many of Japan’s neighbors have argued that the current society of Japan as well as the ruling government is ignorant of the atrocities committed by their country (Jeans, 2005). While Japan tries to erase the past, its neighbors are still holding Japan responsible for the past. The youth in Japan do not have much knowledge about events that occurred in World War II. However, the situation in China is different in that Chinese youth have been given a comprehensive patriotic education that looks at World War II and Japan’s responsibilities in it. One of the most debated issues between the two countries is the Nanjing Massacre. Chinese school utilizes books utilize statistics, pictures, personal anecdotes and eyewitness accounts to recount the incident (Jeans, 2005). Chinese students are taught on the massive scale execution and poor disposal of bodies by the Japanese military. Films about atrocities committed by the Japanese military are very common in China as a result of the patriotic education campaign (Arai, Goto & Weng, 2014). The Japanese government however has in a way deleted this incident in their historical books. They underplay their involvement in the massacre and students are only taught of the occupation but not on what occurred. Japan’s position with its closest neighbors has become worse, such that both the South Korean and Chinese leaders have refused to meet with the Japanese prime minister since he took office in 2012 (Ling, 2013). The main issues as discussed above are the issue of South Korean comfort women and issues of territory in the East China Sea. The prime Minister has shown his willingness to bring back militarism in Japan when he appeared in a tank and a fighter plane in one of the Islands that is being disputed. Despite the current drive by the Prime Minister to promote nationalism in Japan, the Japanese polls show that his success in the election was due to the promise to improve Japan’s economy rather than the chase for a nationalistic agenda. One mayor, Toru Hashimoto, was castigated by the Japanese citizens when he argued that “comfort women” were very important for soldiers (Fackler, 2014). His comments disturbed most of Japanese neighbors as they remember the past in which Japan’s military killed and raped women and children. Conclusion Over the past few years, Japans has been under pressure from Japan for the top position in Asian politics and the economy. In search for a solution, Japan’s government has increased its nationalistic campaigns in the country. This however has not been received well by Japan’s neighbors and at the moment, there is a lot of tension in the area. One of the issues has been Prime Minister Abe’s drive to revive Japan’s military, granting it power to attack countries dubbed enemies of Japan. After World War II, the United States drafted the Japan’s constitution and set up article 9, which renounced battle as a sovereign right thus limiting Japan’s military power. Japan’s bid to revive militarism has caused tension between Japan and its neighbors as well as the United States. Other issues include Japan’s amnesia of the atrocities in World War II as well as territorial conflicts in the East China Sea. The Prime Minister’s visit to Yakusuni shrine has also caused a rise in tension in this area, thus disrupting Japan’s relationship with its neighbors. References Arai, T., Goto, S. & Weng, Z. (2014). Clash of National Identities: China, Japan and the East China Sea Territorial Dispute. Washigton D.c.: Wilson Center Editorial Board (2013). Risky nationalism in Japan.The New York Times Available at [Accessed 31 March 2014] Fackler, M. (2014). Nationalistic Remarks From Japan Lead to Warnings of Chill With U.S. The New York Times, Available at [Accessed 31 march 2014] Jeans, R.B., (2005). Victims or Victimizers? Museums, Textbooks and the War Debate in Contemporary Japan. The Journal of Military History, 69:149-195. Lam, P. (2005). Japan’s Relations with China: Facing a Rising Power. London: Routledge Ling, J. (2013). The Limits of Nationalism in Japan. The New York Times available at http://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/24/opinion/the-limits-on-nationalism-in-japan.html [Accessed on 31 March 2014] Matthews, E. A., (2003). Japan’s New Nationalism. Foreign Affairs 82(6): 74-90. Soeya, A. Tadokoro, M. & Welch, A. (2011). Japan as a ‘Normal Country’? Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Read More