Li,

I Shiuan
OUSSEP

Uniqueness of Japanese conservative/ right wing

Right-wing can generally refer to conservatives or moderate conservatives.

Right-wing politicians generally adopt a variety of conservative political positions
and tend to maintain existing domination. The rightists appear in different forms in
different countries and at different times. Both the left and the right are relatively
speaking. In different contexts, the specific content of the two claims will not be the
same, and they cannot be divided by static "ism" or "class".

In the traditional impression of the Western world, the rightists usually refer to
political parties that support nationalism, defend traditional families and religions
(Jewish-Christian cultural traditions), and oppose socialism, communism, and
internationalism. They believe that certain social stratifications and inequality are all
normal, natural and inevitable phenomenon, typically supporting this position on the
basis of natural law, economics or tradition. Some people use the "rightist" to call the
supporters of laissez-faire capitalism. However, although laissez-faire, it does not
include the movement of immigrants. In addition, the rightist is more conservative
about religious conflicts, so it is more cautious and even more repulsive about ethnic
issues.

The Liberal Democratic Party, abbreviated LDP, is Japan's largest rightist and
conservative political party. It has been in power for a long time since 1955. It only
became the Party out of power between 1993-1994 and 2009-2012. Because of its
long-term government, the LDP has not adopted a well-defined, unified ideology
or political philosophy. Its members hold a variety of positions that could be broadly
defined as being to the right of the opposition parties.

The LDP’s economic policy is based on export-based economic growth; it

maintains close cooperation with the United States on foreign and defense policies,
and safeguards the “Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United
States and Japan”; administrative reforms include the following themes:
simplification and streamlining of government bureaucracy; privatization of Japanese
state-owned enterprises; strain measures for the economic impact caused by tax
reform and the aging society, etc. Other priorities in the early 1990s were: allowing
Japan to play a more active role in the fast-growing Asia-Pacific region; Japan's
economic liberalization and internationalization, boosting domestic demand; creating
Li, I Shiuan
OUSSEP

a high-tech information society; and encouraging scientific research. Not only did
they make a commitment to liberal enterprise, but the LDP also adopted some trade
protectionism and subsidies for important small businesses and first-tier industries,
which also made the LDP maintain high support in rural areas. Abe Shinzo, the
current Prime Minister of Liberal Democratic Party, promoted “Abenomics” and
advocated the establishment of a strong military force and the revision of the Japanese
Constitution (the Peace Constitution). In addition, the LDP opposes the legalization
of same-sex marriage.

The Japanese right-wing group (also known as Uyoku dantai) is a Japanese

ultranationalist far-right organization. According to the statistics of the Japanese
Police Agency, there are about 1,000 right-wing groups in Japan with a total
membership of about 100,000. Japanese right-wing groups have always denied or
doubted the aggression of past war history and supported Japanese politicians to
publicly visit the Yasukuni Shrine.

Uyoku dantai are renowned for their visible propaganda vehicles, known
as gaisensha (街宣車). The vehicles are usually black or olive drab, and are decorated
with the Imperial Seal, the flag of Japan and the Japanese military flag. They are
mainly applied to carry out protests outside organizations such as the Chinese, Korean
or Russian embassies, Chongryon facilities and media organizations, where
propaganda is broadcast through their loudspeakers. They usually broadcast
propaganda, military music or the national anthem. The Great Japan Patriots,
supportive of the US-Japan-South Korea alliance against China and North Korea and
against communism, would always have the US national flag flying side by side with
the Japanese flag in the vehicles and US military marches played alongside their
Japanese counterparts.

In fact, Conservatism is not a massive unified ideological belief system.

Conservatives often wish to retain certain aspects or aspects of existing society
without proposed changing. Not everyone on the right is always conservative. Often,
right-wingers want to transform society in a way that they like. Japanese
Conservatives and American conservatives are usually divided into competing groups
and disparate groups. Some are concerned with religious values, while others focus on
nationalism, and still others on property and tax issues. Libertarians are liberal in
social aspect, but they are financially conservative. Nationalism has played an
Li, I Shiuan
OUSSEP

important role in Japan, but resistance to rapidly changing social values and roles is
also a major difference in conservatism.

The political and social changes that took place in Japan after the Meiji
Restoration (1868) were significant and extensive, involving the abolition of feudal
institutions and the introduction of Western political ideas such as constitutional
government. However, despite institutional innovations and the dislocation resulting
from rapid industrialization, political developments continued to be shaped primarily
by traditional loyalties and attitudes. Except for the period of military
government during the 1930s and ’40s, conservative rule in Japan has been nearly
uninterrupted since the beginning of party politics in the 1880s. Conservative
parties—the two most important of which merged to form the Liberal-Democratic
Party in 1955—were dominated by personalities rather than by ideology and dogma;
and personal loyalties to leaders of factions within the party, rather than commitment
to policy, determined the allegiance of conservative members of the Diet.

After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the political and social changes that took
place in Japan were significant and extensive, involving the abolition of feudalism
and the introduction of constitutional government and other Western political ideas.
However, despite the chaos caused by institutional innovation and rapid
industrialization, political development is still largely influenced by traditional loyalty
and attitudes. Except for the military government in the 1930s and 1940s, since the
beginning of party politics in the 1880s, Japan’s conservative rule has hardly been
interrupted. The Conservative Parties, the two most important parties appeared in
1955 to form the Liberal Democratic Party, were dominated by personality rather than
ideology and dogma; and personal loyalty to leaders within the party, rather than
commitment to policy, determined the loyalty of conservative members.

As one American scholar, Nathaniel B. Thayer, described them, “the factions

have adopted the social values, customs, and relationships of an older Japan.…The
old concepts of loyalty, hierarchy, and duty hold sway in them. And the Dietman (or
any other Japanese) feels very comfortable when he steps into this world.

The Liberal Democratic Party is closely related to large enterprises, and its main
goal is to create a stable environment for the development of the Japanese market
economy. To this end, the party acts primarily as a broker between the commercial
conflict.
Li, I Shiuan
OUSSEP

In the early 21st century, Japanese nationalism re-emerged, a large part of which
was concentrated in the history of Japan in the 20th century, especially before the
Second World War and during the Second World War. Conservative nationalists
insisted that the Japanese army has not done anything wrong and has indeed taken
glorious actions. The Japanese enemies, both domestic and foreign, have created a
wide range of war crimes. It remains to be seen how widespread and influential this
rejuvenated nationalism may be.