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prominent figures have recently attempted to legitimate the conditions under which Japan
might possess a nuclear arsenal.
National Security and Japanese Identity
Several factors have come together to mold Japan’s security identity during the past half
century. Japan’s militarist past continues to have some affect on the nation’s identity, as
nationalists and their sympathizers remain persistent in pushing for a bigger and more
visible military. The Japanese national anthem, kimigayo, which literally means “the
emperor’s reign,” is a political remnant of the Meiji period during which Japan focused
on the development of its military to counter the perceived threat from the West.
Following the end of the Meiji Restoration in 1912, Japan’s military, encouraged by
nationalists, grew more sophisticated with time. During World War II, the emperor’s
power became absolute, something that nationalists exploited to their advantage by
pushing Japanese militarism to its apex. Similarly, hinomaru, the flag that came into
prominence during the Meiji period, became a recognized symbol of Japan’s military
prowess.
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Despite Japan’s long history, the Meiji period produced the country’s first
constitution. Japan’s defeat in World War II and subsequent Occupation by the United
States that lasted nearly seven years led to a new constitution in 1946 and to continuing
questions about the nation’s identity.
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Indicating the strong association of kimigayo and
hinomaru to Japanese past imperialism and militarism is that for several years during the
U.S. Occupation of Japan, the American command prohibited the use of both. While the
postwar constitution eliminated the absolute political powers of the emperor, it still left
him as a symbol of national unity and identity.
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Bolstering the retention of this imperial
Convention