Japan’s new nationalism: assertive abroad, challenged at home
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made good on his campaign promises for a more robust and muscular Japan. His conservative government passed a bill to teach patriotism in schools and to elevate the Defense Agency to a full-fledged ministry for the first time since World War II. The new policy is not without its ...
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has made good on his campaign promises for a more robust and muscular Japan. His conservative government passed a bill to teach patriotism in schools and to elevate the Defense Agency to a full-fledged ministry for the first time since World War II.
The new policy is not without its detractors, though. Opposition parties to Abe's left have filed no-confidence motions against members of his cabinet. Still, it will be interesting to see how Japan's increasing assertiveness will play out on the global stage, given its recent strong stance against North Korea's nuclear testing and its jostling for a seat on the U.N. Security Council. And also, what will it mean for Japan's controversial textbooks?
The new policy is not without its detractors, though. Opposition parties to Abe’s left have filed no-confidence motions against members of his cabinet. Still, it will be interesting to see how Japan’s increasing assertiveness will play out on the global stage, given its recent strong stance against North Korea’s nuclear testing and its jostling for a seat on the U.N. Security Council. And also, what will it mean for Japan’s controversial textbooks?
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