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Abe's nationalism reflected in conservative political movement, but polls show voter dissent
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/08/14/national/politics-diplomacy/abes-nationalism-reflected-conservative-political-movement-polls-show-voter-dissent/
Abe’s nationalism reflected in conservative political movement, but polls show voter dissent
by Reiji Yoshida
Aug 14, 2015
This is the fourth report in a five-part series looking at the impact of World War II still being felt in Japanese society.
The hot political season is back as the nation observes Aug. 15, which is always an emotional date as it marks Japan’s surrender in World War II — and this year is the 70th anniversary of that fateful event.
The event is taking place amid a political landscape defined by heated confrontation between pacifist liberals and nationalistic conservatives.
Tens of thousands of pacifist citizens have been taking to the streets on recent weekends in Tokyo to protest two security bills submitted to the Diet by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s right-leaning administration.
Major national newspapers have been clearly split into two camps: the left-leaning Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun, and the pro-government, conservative Yomiuri Shimbun and Sankei Shimbun. Such clear antagonism in the media’s editorial stances has been seldom observed in postwar Japan.
At the center of public concern is Abe’s Cabinet, which is often portrayed as revisionist in terms of history and bent on departing from Japan’s postwar pacifism.
<snip>
“Japan has shifted to the right, and the Abe administration was born,” Takubo said during a recent interview with The Japan Times.
<snip>
Abe’s nationalism reflected in conservative political movement, but polls show voter dissent
by Reiji Yoshida
Aug 14, 2015
This is the fourth report in a five-part series looking at the impact of World War II still being felt in Japanese society.
The hot political season is back as the nation observes Aug. 15, which is always an emotional date as it marks Japan’s surrender in World War II — and this year is the 70th anniversary of that fateful event.
The event is taking place amid a political landscape defined by heated confrontation between pacifist liberals and nationalistic conservatives.
Tens of thousands of pacifist citizens have been taking to the streets on recent weekends in Tokyo to protest two security bills submitted to the Diet by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s right-leaning administration.
Major national newspapers have been clearly split into two camps: the left-leaning Asahi Shimbun, Mainichi Shimbun and Tokyo Shimbun, and the pro-government, conservative Yomiuri Shimbun and Sankei Shimbun. Such clear antagonism in the media’s editorial stances has been seldom observed in postwar Japan.
At the center of public concern is Abe’s Cabinet, which is often portrayed as revisionist in terms of history and bent on departing from Japan’s postwar pacifism.
<snip>
“Japan has shifted to the right, and the Abe administration was born,” Takubo said during a recent interview with The Japan Times.
<snip>