Tokyo has recently decided to incorporate Mein Kampf (My Struggle), Adolf Hitler's infamous autobiography and Nazi manifesto, into students' textbooks.
Given the nature of the book, on which the world has long reached indisputable consensus, the move has deeply upset Japan's neighbors which suffered tremendously from Japanese militarism in World War II (WWII). It also serves as a call for vigilance against a looming revival of Fascism in East Asia.
The highly controversial decision was made in a written response to questions raised by a lawmaker from the opposition Democratic Party and was approved by the cabinet.
This tolerance of Nazism is by no means an isolated case. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Friday sent an offering to the Yasukuni shrine that honors 14 convicted Japanese war criminals.
Earlier this month, the Japanese government endorsed the use of an equally controversial Imperial Rescript on Education, Japan's ideological weapon in the pre-war era that advocates loyalty to the Japanese emperor and has played a major role in promoting the growth of militarism in the country.
Fascism and militarism are the root causes of WWII and must be thoroughly uprooted. There should be no tolerance or ambiguity when it comes to historical issues of cardinal importance.
However, right-wing groups in Japan, both within the government and among the general public, show no regret for their country's war crimes. They have even shamelessly claimed that Japanese militarism has nothing to do with Fascism.
The rise of historical revisionism and denial of historical facts have increased the chances of a dangerous comeback of Fascism in Japan, and peace-loving people in Japan and around the world should all be vigilant against this dangerous trend.
In fact, quite a number of media reports in the past years have exposed links between Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's cabinet members and home-grown Nazi supporters.
Two female members of the Abe cabinet, namely Minister of Internal Affairs Sanae Takaichi and Defense Minister Tomomi Inada, were reported in 2014 to appear in a joint picture with Yamada Kazunari, head of "National Socialist Japanese Workers Party" and a Nazi supporter.
The right-wing groups are continuously fanning nationalist sentiments among the public as well. One of the conservative groups once shouted extreme slogans such as sending Koreans into gas chambers in a street rally in 2013, and was seen carrying items with Nazi symbols in a 2014 protest.
Given the current political atmosphere in Japan, the country's pacifist constitution is becoming increasingly ineffective in holding back Abe's attempt to break the country's military restrictions, or in the prime minister's own words, to make Japan "a normal country." The result is that it will lead Japan onto the dangerous path of militarism.
Japanese militarists' aggressions brought immense catastrophes to both China and the wider world and have eventually brought Japan to where it is today.
Tokyo should deeply reflect on the historical lessons, educate the younger generation with correct human values and thoroughly eradicate Fascism and militarism.
