It is déjà vu all over again for Japan. Japan’s nationalistic fervor is once again on the rise. In the 1930s, it was led by young army officers and reactionary academics outraged by the country’s rapid Westernization and economic hardships stemming from the Great Depression. The right-wing demonstration that occurred earlier this month, however, bore a completely different appearance. Waving the battle flag of the rising sun, a group of more than 2,500 people of all ages, but especially young adults, gathered in Tokyo to publicly condemn Fuji Television for its “excessive” broadcasting of Korean soap operas. These were not ideologues or activists by profession; they were merely casual protestors inspired by nationalist agitations from the Internet.
Such patriotic zeal is a response to the shifting regional balance of power, but also reflects Japan’s changing political discourse. In the past, Japanese nationalism was held in check because of its association with WWII. Lately, however, ultranationalists have been unabashedly outspoken and increasingly confident of their place in society. The governor of Tokyo, Shintaro Ishihara, recently dropped a bombshell by publicly championing the establishment of a military dictatorship equipped with nuclear weapons for reconstructing quake-ravaged Japan.
This is bad news for the United States and its alliance with Japan. Many ultranationalists harbor deep-seated resentment toward American troop presence in Japan, viewing it as an ongoing form of “occupation.” Indeed, Ishihara, an admirer of Hitler, has repeatedly challenged the presence of American boots on Japanese soil. Thanks to Twitter and other social networking websites, it is easier than ever for ordinary citizens to get swept up in nationalist sentiment. Moreover, with the earthquake this past March and intensifying territorial disputes, Japan’s recent national crises both at home and abroad have undeniably been tipping the country’s political discourse in favor of passion rather than reason.
Lest we forget, East Asia has long suffered from intense intra-regional rivalries, which only outside influence has successfully ameliorated. Indeed, its stability over the past five decades is a product of America’s robust presence in the region. This stability has greatly benefited Japan, which took advantage of the opportunity to democratize and prosper while serving as the key node in America’s containment strategy in Asia.
But today, resurgent nationalism in Japan threatens to undermine Tokyo’s role as America’s key ally in the region. Once again, Japan finds herself at a historic crossroads; will Japan remain a democratic beacon in Asia, bolster its prosperity, and maintain its partnership with the United States? Or will growing nationalism lead it to adopt destabilizing policies, which will harm both its own and the region’s long-term interests?
Hidetoshi Azuma is an intern at AEI.