Ultraconservative lobby backs Japan PM charter change drive

Associated Press ^ | Jul 13, 2016 10:04 AM EDT | Mari Yamaguchi

[Olog-hai]

An influential political lobby in Japan will do its utmost to capitalize on Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s election victory and push for the constitution to be revised to allow a more active military, the group’s chairman said Wednesday. […]

Tadae Takubo, chairman of Nippon Kaigi, or Japan Conference, said the war-renouncing constitution that makes Japan’s defense “defective” needs to be corrected. […]

Founded in 1997, Nippon Kaigi has strived to revise the constitution to restore traditional gender roles, increase imperial worshiping and put public interest before individuals. The group is believed to be behind Abe’s comeback in 2012 and has become increasingly influential. …

[wastedyears]

Imperial? That has no place in the 21st century. I guess they don’t read history. They don’t remember what happened the last time Japan was an empire.

[Vaquero]

Unless they’re planning to attack our pacific fleet, I wish them well.

[VanDeKoik]

Japan isnt going to engage in imperial expansion. China is.

They do need to provide for their own defense, and they have a history of knowing how to do just that, though.

WW2 was too long ago for people today to continue to hamstring Japan over it.

[WMarshal]

There is nothing wrong with Japan being Japanese. For centuries they were content to stand alone and bother no one. I feel that much of the aggression of Japan in the modern era had to do with rapid social change and a feeling of cultural inferiority of the west. Japan was on of the first non-European countries to industrialize and they did it in spectacular fashion.

Japan does not feel protected by America’s security umbrella because they have seen how we have punished allies and rewarded enemies. They have to do something to reverse the population decline. If Japan continues on its present course it is doomed to decline and failure.

[Olog-hai]

It’s starting to define the 21^st century no matter what we think of it. José Manuel Barroso already called the European Union by the name “empire” nine years ago.

Japan does remember what happened last time they had their empire; thing is, they have no regrets about it. Nippon Kaigi has close ties to Jinja Honchō (the Association of Shinto Shrines; Abe is a member), and they are pretty much for reversal of Hirohito’s Ningen Sengen (his declaration of not being a god).

[Olog-hai]

Look up the atrocities inspired by emperor worship. Some of the stuff they did makes the Nazis look like amateurs.

The current leadership in the Kokkai has a bent for restoring emperor worship.