Japanese govt should shut down fascist groups' public tirades: analyst

A new official chapter of global anti-fascism begins on this day of this year, as the 69th anniversary of the Anti-Fascist War and China's victory in its War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, has been elevated to an official memorial day to be known worldwide as the Victory Day.

But as the Victory Day encourages a time of global introspection as to the atrocities fascism has brought to the world historically, the day also stands as a symbol of future harmony based on commitment to documents such as The Cairo Declaration and The Potsdam Proclamation, and the countries who promoted them, and recognition of the significant influence they' ve had on contributing to peace and stability in the world and in post-war East Asia, particularly.

However, while it's safe to say that ideological fascism is a declining global trend in progressive countries since the days of former leaders such as infamous Benito Mussolini in Italy and Adolf Hitler in Nazi Germany, neo-fascist or post-fascist groups harboring ultranationalist and militaristic tenets, sadly, remain prevalent in Japan.

"There is an important distinction to be drawn here between cultural nationalism, which prevails in all countries globally and state-fostered nationalism, the fundamentalists of which can indeed be termed 'fascists' in the historical sense, and, yes, those factions still exist in Japan, unfortunately, as is the case in other countries too," political analyst Teruhisa Muramatsu told Xinhua.

"The difference in Japan, perhaps, is the visibility and level of propaganda used by these groups, compared to other countries where the activities are likely kept more 'underground' and the seeming disinclination of the government here to quash such public displays of ultra-nationalism," Muramatsu said.

He was referring specifically to a group known here collectively as Uyoku dantai, who are easily recognizable by their vans and trucks, which are usually painted black and fitted with loudspeakers, and bear the Imperial Seal, the national flag of Japan and the Japanese military flag.

The group's members, while not united on all political fronts, generally believe in a philosophical principle known here as kokutai-Goji, meaning "the retention of Japan's fundamental character," and have a shared anti-communist stance, and take exception to countries such as the former Soviet Union and more recently China, South Korea and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), and are quick to propagandize the latest diplomatic rifts in this region, such as the ongoing territorial disputes Japan is embroiled in with a number of its closest neighbors.

"Uyoku dantai are often regular fixtures in busy shopping districts in the nation's cities, such as Shibuya and Shinjuku in Tokyo, and can seemingly appear from nowhere in impromptu displays of high-octane, high-decibel, ultranationalist hollering," said Muramatsu.