I Saw A Japanese Flag

And that may not mean anything to you. Speaking more on a serious topic this time, I promise to bring a lighter topic next time, such as my unending battle with Japanese cars on small windy streets, or perhaps the changing leaves including pictures of them.

However, this time, allow me to discuss Japanese nationalism.

An article appeared in the BBC today as a comment on the current firing of a Japanese Air Force (officially, the Air Defense Force since a bona fide army is outlawed by the Constitution under Article 9) for his "revisionist" comments on Japanese history.

Revisionism is a brand of social conservatism that at its core thinks Japan is the best thing since sliced bread. If you think that is natural for patriots, it may unsettle you to think that they also believe that Japan was the victim in WWII. They believe that the Nanjing Massacre, also known as the Rape of Nanking (spelling differs depending on which writing style you prefer in Chinese) in which upwards of 250,000 people were raped and killed over a 6 week period in 1937. It is reported that the Japanese embassy was right next door to an all girls school. The ambassadors inside pleaded with the Japanese government to put an end to the rape and slaughter while hearing the screams of Chinese students being raped and killed on a daily basis.

The General in charge of those forces retired after the incident calling it a national disgrace, shaved his head and chose to live out his days in a Buddhist Monastary. Those days were short as he was hung after the war while the true perpetrators of the crime, the battalion leaders etc., were allowed to live out their days.

When you consider incidents like these and the general neglect of acceptance by influential people in the Japanese government, it's easy to see why there are problems in Sino (Chinese)-Japanese relations. It's note even that these are the majority, but they are what one author called, a megaphone minority due to their high positions in the Japanese government. I'm willing to put Koizumi, Abe, Fukuda, and the newest PM Taro Aso in that group although Koizumi remains popular an people don't want to accept that aspect of him. These people are also the same leaders who want to change Article 9 to allow Japan to have an official army, one that would allow them to accrue military power equal to their economic power.

However, they are a minority. Most people in Japan follow the Pacifist crede, as the BBC article says, almost to naiveté. The displaying of flags is said to remind people of the days of the war and the nightmares it brought to people, not just in China, Korea, and SE Asia, but in Japan as well. Displaying of flags is largely limited to holidays, and since today is Culture day, they are being displayed in shopping areas and the like.

Japanese as a whole are pacificists, however, the megaphone minority acts as a reminder that the hawks are still around. The Chinese government uses these hawks to remind its people of the humiliation brought on to its people by the evil Japanese staking its legitimacy on a policy of hate.

In order for Sino-Japanese relations to warm in the future, this issue needs to be resolved. Unfortunately, it's not as easy as Japan issueing official apologies (as it has on numerous occasions). The Chinese government needs to introduce new ways to legitimize itself as the government of the people (possibly through democratic reforms at the local level so that the people don't feel like they are being ignored).

Japan also needs to come to terms with itself and act in a way that is more representative of its people (as it largely does). Competititon brought on by outside parties are working in that direction, but not necessarily in a constructive direction.

It's an exciting time to be in Asia.