The government led by Prime Minister Abe Shinzo used to emphasize a phrase, ‘to break away from the post-war regime’ for some time. The expression is not being uttered frequently these days, but the government has not yet given up the goal. Revival of the Imperial Ordinance on Education and introduction of martial art in school curricula ? they are symbolic enough to remind us of the pre-war school education system.


ABE GOVERNMENT ATTEMPTS TO EVOKE PRE-WAR SCHOOL EDUCATION


Fifteen of the 19 ministers of the Abe government belong to the Japan Conference, a private organization set up in 1997.


If the organizations like ‘Council of Parliamentary Members affiliated to the League of Shintoist Politics’ and ‘Association of Parliamentary Members who Warship the Yasukuni Shrine’, all the ministers are involved in the right-wing force, with an exception of Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Ishii Keiichi. The objective of the Japan Conference lies in pulling back the society to the pre-war political and social systems with the Imperial Family reigning at the top.


For this reason the members are eager to amend the Constitution and ‘reform’ the school education, rejecting diplomacy of ‘apology’ to the Asian nations and stressing to intensify national defense capabilities. The issue over the school, Moritomo Gakuen, in which involved Prime Minister and his wife, is a clear example of corrupt relationships between Mr. Kagoike Yasunori, a Premier’s close friend and of the Japan Conference, and bureaucrats of several Ministries assisted by politicians. Everybody can easily see the structure of scandal.


Imperial Rules Imposed on 3-year-old Children


The Ministry of Health, Labor and Social Welfare announced in February a draft of Guidelines for Nursing Children at Nursery Schools to be implemented from the Fiscal 2018. It describes that: children over 3-year-old of age should feel friendly with the national flag in the official events and sing the anthem and traditional songs.


That means an obligation to respect the national anthem and flag and sing the Kimigayo (=Long Live Emperor) with hoisting the flag Hinomaru - imposition to people from who are 3-year old and up to the elderly.


The new education guidelines implemented from April 2017 have a provision to start a martial art in the physical education classes for junior high school students. The art is called Jukendo, in which students use a long wooden bayonet to learn technique. A Juken is a weapon, a rifle with a knife on the tip, which is employed in a hand-to-hand combat. The Japan Jukendo League, in which 90% of its members are from the Self Defense Forces of Japan and relevant bodies, plays the key role.


The Jukendo, however, is a technique to kill or harm a man with a weapon. This technique is introduced in the physical education class of junior high schools. The Sport Agency explains about the reason: it relies on public comments.


The ministries, however, usually disregard public comments, neglecting citizens’ right opinions and criticisms. The Sports Agency has decided to employ the martial art. That reminds us of ‘military education’ which commits in the Imperial Codes on School Education and military training.


Premier Abe Allies with Grass-root Right Wing Forces


On April 3 the cabinet made a decision that the Imperial School Codes could be employed as a teaching material in the class of moral education in the reply to the inquiry letter. The Imperial School Codes contradict the Constitution, and both of the Lower and Upper Houses adopted the resolution to annul and remove the codes in July, 1948.


Chief Cabinet Secretary Suga Yoshihide told, adding limitation that ‘as far as the introduction does not violate the Constitution and the Fundamental Education Law’. But the introduction of the Imperial Codes itself violates the constitutional spirit. The secretary said ‘I see a good moral aspect in introducing the martial art’, which is a quibble. Prime Minister Abe and his bureaucrats are not qualified to talk about moral and education.


A series of the trends produced by the Abe government link with the Japan Conference and other grass-root right wing forces so that Article Nine of the Constitution, which prohibits a war and possession of military potentials, may be eroded and the Japanese society may back to the pre-war regime.




May 9, 2017