From the article of 'Petrel'
No.730 / June 20, 1999

Please send us your opinion and the impression about this article without reservation.

Let's Crush The Rising-sun Flag and The Reign of Your Majesty Bill.

Do Not Permit The Nationalism and The Monarchism!
The Maneuver of Obuchi to Cheat The Misgovernment and The Misrule.


* Hinomaru/Kimigayo:

  Hinomaru is the Rising-sun Flag, "the national flag" of Japan.

  Kimigayo is the Reign of your Majesty, "the national anthem" of Japan.

-------------
The Liberal Democratic Party and the government has submitted the Hinomaru and Kimigayo bill to the Diet with relying on the Clean Government Party. It is a dirty plot to materialize the national anthem, national flag bill with a little bit of luck with pulling the unsettling Clean Government Party into the approval by using "the carrot and the stick". Although this is also an all-or-nothing bet (See the comment of Koga, the Chairman of the Diet Policy Commission), but it may be a case to be a good prospect if they go out to a bullish 'attack'. The government and the Liberal Democratic Party can count sufficiently on not only the Clean Government Party but the reactionary sect in the Democratic Party--the party of the survivor of such as the old Liberal Democratic Party and the New Frontier Party (the Hatoyama and Tutomu Hata sect) and old Democratic Socialist Party (the Hironari Nakano sect). Moreover, the government and the Liberal Democratic Party has turned to 'a haughty attitude' by openly declaring and shifting to a defiant attitude as "you" in the words of Kimigayo is the Emperor (Ten'ou), which they have cheated ambiguously until now. In other words, they say that the contents of the Kimigayo is the one wishing the reign of sovereign or Emperor (Ten'ou) to continue eternally, and they are not ashamed of forcing such undemocratic and anachronistic thing on workers. It may be too clear that the worker can not admit this. We call to the workers in the whole country to stand to a decisive counterattack right away!
-------------

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party have make up the mind.

Mori, the Secretary General of the Liberal Democratic Party asserted that the problem of the Hinomaru/Kimigayo legislation is not the problem of discussion already, and whittle away at the face of the petit bourgeois Communist Party that lose himself over the fantasy of 'national discussion' to abandon the fight.

"The large majority of the nations has already accepted the Hinomaru/Kimigayo as the national flag/the national anthem. It is not such thing to continue discussion forever." ('The Morning Sun' on 12th June) For the government and the Liberal Democratic Party, the Hinomaru/Kimigayo legislation is a problem of political struggle and not a problem of discussion indeed. In this point, the government and the Liberal Democratic Party stand to the class position firmly, and are more consistent than the petit bourgeois Communist Party which forgets it, so they decisively advance the policy.

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party think that it is good to transfer it to implementation as they once said the Hinomaru/Kimigayo legislation, the forcing of the Hinomaru/KImigayo in the education scene would become difficult, the resistance might be strengthened if they would stop by making such as the Nikkyoso (The Japanese Teachers' Union) encouraged ---because it might be assumed to be that it is not upon a certain legal basis that the Hinomaru/Kimigayo is the national flag, the national anthem---, it has not exceeded to submit the bill if it is so.

As Koga, the Chairman of the Diet Policy Commission said, it is "a bet for me". However, they think that it would be better than they would not submit the bill whatever it would be "a bet".

They threaten the gibberish party like the Clean Government Party as to reduce the fixed number of the proportional constituency, or to angle them with the bait of offering the position of minister , that is, they are maneuvering to pull into the approval by using "the carrot and the stick".

Moreover, they are going to strengthen the approach to even the reactionary sect in the Democratic Party because they are naturally never opposed to the Hinomaru/Kimigayo legislation.

They declare that "you" are the Emperor(Ten'ou).

Moreover, the government and the Liberal Democratic Party declared overtly that "you" in the Kimigayo is the Emperor(Ten'ou) at this time to submit the bill.

They have showed a little hesitation to assert "you" to be the Emperor(Ten'ou) in this issue, and have explained that it has been used in the meaning called a sweetheart or general "you" in this song originally, so it is not necessarily indicating the Emperor.

Needless to say, such a thing was a trick because what the suprematism bureaucrat meant with "you" after the Meiji Restoration was only the meaning of the Emperor. 'Kimigayo' was a 'blessed' song as to mean the reign, the rule of the Emperor(Ten'ou) continues eternally.
However, the government and the Liberal Democratic Party now answers overtly and clearly in the Diet that "the Kimigayo" is the reign of the emperor(Ten'ou) and is not except for it. (on June 12)

"We think that the 'You' of Kimigayo is proper to be interpreted as the emperor that is the symbol of Japan and also Japanese nations integration under the Japanese Constitution, although it is said that it was indicating the emperor who is a sovereign under the Great Japan empire constitution."

We, the workers has not admitted the Emperor or the Emperor system as "the symbol of Japan and also Japanese nations integration." Because such a thing is an empty phrase and unconcept that cannot be even interpreted or understood properly. All the workers do not think the Emperor such as "the symbol of the integration" of them.Because the worker who makes labor personally is essentially different social existence from the Emperor who is only the parasite of a society. You bourgeoisie may not even say to the workers to become a human being who is supported by the society as the Emperor, the different existence distinguished from the working people.

However, although all the Japanese must have the essential characteristic represented by the Emperor if the emperor is the symbol of the nations, the workers do not hold such a thing and will not think to have it.

It is clear that how much the Showa Emperor behaved in a cowardly way in the war with China and the Pacific War, how much virtually supported and backed up seriously and enthusiastically what the military authorities did. Moreover, it is also clear that he personally did never try to take any responsibility after the war (although it can be said that such a character was 'symbolizing' the cowardly and delicate character of the bourgeois governing classes lead the war than the one of the Emperor individual), and the workers with class consciousness do not have any common points with such an irresponsible personality.

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party should answer what kind of thing that the Emperor is "the symbol of nations integration" so that everyone is able to understand clearly in the Diet at the same time. However, the government and the Liberal Democratic Party do not do and will not try to do such things because they are never able to do such things.

If the government and the Liberal Democratic Party will be able to do it, it will be only when they position the Emperor system like the prewar days.

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party can never assert as that 'you' of the Kimigayo is the Emperor and the Emperor is "the symbol of the nations" as the Emperor except standing to such position like the prescription of the Emperor system that was in Meiji constitution, "the Empire State of Great Japan will be reigned by the unbroken line of Emperor", namely some form of suprematism.

And, does the new assertion of the government and the Liberal Democratic Party--the comment that "you" of The Kimigayo are the Emperor--disclose the essence of "the symbol Emperor system" of the post war Constitution unexpectedly?

To begin with, 'the symbol Emperor system' is a trickery thing and the Emperor system is not except the Emperor system. It is disclosing how much the post war democracy is a deceptive and halfway thing and how much the "Popular sovereignty" is a halfhearted thing that such a thing is remaining.Such a 'democratic nation' is clearly a halfhearted thing if "Kimigayo (Your reign--the reign of the Emperor) continues....eternally", the people are extorted monarchism--whatever kind of thing it may be, and that is the foundation of a nation.

Foreigners express the essence of the problem briefly. "Kimigayo" is His Majesty's Reign(the reign of sovereign) in English, and is not except it.

It can not be said that if the Emperor system is the symbol Emperor system it is not a 'feudal' thing and become an unpleasant thing.The Emperor system (the monarchism) is the Emperor system (monarchism), it is essentially 'discriminating' and discriminates humanbeing by "birth", and gives a privilege and position to a part of human being, a party who have no difference from other people as human being--the party such as 'the Emperor family'--"by birth". However, did not the Constitution prescribe that the people are equal naturally, we must not discriminate it in such as the birthplace, and prohibit such a feudal darkness and savageness? Therefore, the current Constitution was self-contradictory and an irresponsible thing from the beginning, from the foundation.

The Emperor family and 'The nobility' who were around the Emperor system are something like a clan that have been connected by deep blood, so they are just the survivor from the ancient times, who have survived the middle age by all means in narrow world of only themselves.

And, the lower class warriors who were "miscast" to shoulder the bourgeois revolution (although we do not deny a certain inevitability) and were reactionary in the ideology only persuaded them by chance to be the symbol of national integration, that is, the ideological instrument of integration, the 'absolute' authority in the era of the Meiji Restoration. Therefore, if we call it as the symbol of national integration it was such a thing since the Emperor system in the prewar days in a sense.

Therefore, we can say that there was almost no 'inevitability' that only the emperor family remained with the nobility being denied after the democratic reform (we are embarrassed to call it revolution) in the postwar days except the intervention of USA.

Such a nonsense, the parasitic and unnecessary bump of society will surely be discarded in the history, in the progress and advance of the history--although we cannot say clearly when or how it would be now-- and the working class will discard it. There is no reason not to do so.
There is only one alternative whether the organization of monarchism or the democratic organization.

You could legislate even the Kimigayo as the national anthem or anything, if it would be not the democratic organization, the organization of 'the sovereignty of people'.Because the Kimigayo says such nonsense that the Emperor system and the era of the Emperor continue eternally, the people "celebrate" and wish it.

It might be good to establish even Kimigayo or anything as the national anthem if current Japan would be the organization of monarchism. However, if it would be so, the working classes would shatter such a thing and would win the thorough democracy.

There is only one alternative.

Shatter the dirty intention of the government and the Liberal Democratic Party!

The government and the Liberal Democratic Party now make a big fuss in legislating the Hinomaru/Kimigayo as the national flag, national anthem to earns a mere mark, merely on a patchwork basis, or to divert the anger and dissatisfaction of the peoples and workers from the poor economic policy (See the input of 'the public funds' of tens trillion yen for the corrupted enterprise's relief), 'misrule', and depression of the government and the Liberal Democratic Party. It is because that nothing as such nationalism, racism appeals to the vulgar taste and hides the real intention of rulers.

It may be clear that the legislation of the Hinomaru/Kimigayo is also nationalism, racialism even though it is not expressed openly, in other words, it is nationalism, racialism, absolutism (monarchism) that was gradated and cheated a little. The government and the Liberal Democratic Party take out such things as nationalism, the Emperor system principle, the Hinomaru/Kimigayo, and they try to divert the interest of the people toward the irrelevant direction with that.This is essentially the same as Miloshevich making his power firm with nationalism--or the military authorities in the prewar days having integrated the people with calling nationalism. However, what kind of result that has brought about, where it has reached has already been made clear perfectly in the history.

The legislation of Hinomaru/Kimigayo is a contemporary 'allegiance test' and is a feudalistic savage itself in the sense.
The reason it is took out at present is that they try to throw the working class on the knees of the bourgeois nation and to restrain the fight and rebellion of the working class to the reactionary nation previously. Hinomaru/Kimigayo and the Emperor system is "the symbol of national integration" in the sense only, namely, "the national integration" said here is nothing but "the integration" to the bourgeois nation, the bourgeois rule (dictatorship).
The one who does not lower the head and swear obedience before the Hinomaru/Kimigayo (in other words, the one who refuses the contemporary 'allegiance test') goes beyond from 'the category' of nations, so he must be sentenced 'a heresy', be persecuted, be shut out or even thrown into the prison.

The extortion of the Hinomaru/Kimigayo is the extortion of nationalism, it is to say to the whole people to lower the heads before the bourgeois nation.This is just the same that the Edo shogunate persecuted and suppressed Christianity, extorted 'the allegiance test' to "integrate" to the feudal system.Although the contemporary nation also forces 'an allegiance test' in the form of extortion of Hinomaru/Kimigayo to the people (especially to the young child and student who have even no judgment yet), they have not understood that how much rustic and savage deed it is.The bourgeoisie and the politicians of the government and the Liberal Democratic Party blame the allegiance test in the feudal era to be savage, but they can think that it is entirely a cultural and elegant deed when they do the same thing. What a naive, mean and low personality they have!
If "the freedom of the religion" was justifiable and the feudal ideology had to be shattered once, it may be more natural and inevitable that the ideology of bourgeoisie, in other words, the nationalism and the Emperor system principle (the ideology of the monarchism, the authority) also shall be shattered at present.
It is nothing than the position of feudal absolutism exactly to force such a thing on the people, especially on the workers as 'an allegiance test'. The bourgeoisie recedes even to the level of the feudal governing classes, and thus discloses personally that they are falling to the perishing and corrupted class.

Needless to say, the denial of the nationalism and the Emperor system principle being the contemporary "allegiance test" do not mean the liberalistic position such as the demand of "the freedom of religion", the free of thought/creed already.

If the nationalism and the Emperor system principle are inseparable with the rule of the monopolistic capital, and are the immanent demand, the inevitable ideology, the denial is the denial of the rule of capital and it reach there after all. It may be a perfect anachronism to take out such as the free of thought/creeds against nationalism, now.

The bourgeoisie of Japan reached to the stage finally, namely to the stage to extort nationalism, racism to the people. They feel the necessity to extort Hinomaru/Kimigayo to the people in proportion to becoming 'the imperialistic bourgeoisie'. Therefore, we are never able to think the legislation of Hinomaru/Kimigayo by the government and the Liberal Democratic Party as a mere accidental policy, as a fancy policy of the Obuchi administration.
The legislation of Hinomaru/Kimigayo may be the plot to integrate the people under the government and the Liberal Democratic Party, in other words, the Obuchi administration by nationalism, racism, after all. Just the nationalism, racism is the right means, a camouflage, smoke screen, "the samurai's pillbox" of Mito Komon--to try to make the working class prostrate in the front--to divert, make working off the anger and dissatisfaction of the working class against the contradiction from the production relation of capitalism--see the unemployment, restructuring, the corruption of large enterprise, state apparatus, and politician--, and against the reactionary and incompetent Obuchi administration.

The legislation of Hinomaru/Kimigayo is the contemporary 'allegiance test' to press the workers (the youth, the educator) to obey the state and the authority, and is prescribed by the rise of nationalism, in other words, by that the governing classes are increasingly inclined to nationalism. Therefore, the fight against the legislation of Hinomaru/Kimigayo is nothing more than the fight of the class against the bourgeoisie that becomes reactionary, and not the problem of "national discussion".

(Translated by Yoshi)