View source for Neoconservatism in Japan

{{Short description|Political movement}}
{{Use mdy dates|date = February 2019}}
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{{Liberal Democratic Party of Japan sidebar|ideology2}}
{{Nihongo|'''Neoconservatism'''|新保守主義|Shinhoshushugi}} in  [[Japan]], also known as the {{Nihongo|'''neo-defense school'''|ネオ防衛学校|Neo bouei gakkou}}, is a term used by Asian media only recently{{when|date=September 2018}} to refer to a [[hawkish]] new [[generation]] of Japanese [[Conservatism in Japan|conservative]]s.  They are distinguished from older Japanese conservatives in that they take a more "active" view of the [[Japanese Self-Defense Forces]] and are known for making what would be considered in the [[Western world]] [[political correctness|politically incorrect]] statements ([[Shintaro Ishihara]] is particularly well known for this). Despite this, or perhaps because of it, they enjoy fair popularity across the nation, especially with the middle-aged population. The term is used in [[China]], [[North Korea]], and [[South Korea]], as well as in [[Japan]], to describe them.

As members of the [[post-war]] generation, they view themselves as free of responsibility or guilt for [[Empire of Japan|Japan's conquests and wartime history]] and [[Japanese war crimes]]. They view China as a country that harbors historical grievances for political gain, rather than accepting Japan's apologies. They express strong patriotic pride and stress Japan's international role. They view the [[Japan–Korea relations|North and South Korean-Japanese relationship]] as no longer particularly special, but rather desire to rebuild it as a "normal relationship"&mdash;one in which Japanese war guilt is no longer a factor in bilateral negotiations. Accordingly, they also support changing the [[Constitution of Japan|Japanese constitution]], especially [[Article 9 of the Constitution of Japan|Article 9]] which is viewed as obsolete, so as to make progress towards "normalizing" Japan's status (that is to enable the country to re-arm to the level of most other countries). 

The neoconservatives generally eschew traditional [[Party line (politics)|party-line]] [[Political faction|faction]]alism, form alliances with lawmakers connected to [[defense (military)|defense]], and create their own study committees. The bipartisan "Young Lawmaker's Group for Establishing Security in the New Century", founded in 2001, is the crux of the neoconservative group within the [[Diet of Japan|Japanese Diet]]. Note that the "Young" in the title is relative - being in their 40s and 50s, they are younger than the majority of powerful politicians who are in their 60s and 70s.

== Neoconservatives ==
The neoconservatives are a group of "younger" politicians, in their 40s and 50s. Notable neoconservatives often include:
*[[Shigeru Ishiba]], current Prime Minister of Japan, former Minister of Defense and major proponent of Japan's involvement in the US-initiated [[Iraq War]]{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Shinzo Abe]], former Prime Minister of Japan, the successor of [[Junichiro Koizumi]], an anti-[[North Korea]] hardliner{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Tōru Hashimoto]], former Mayor of Osaka{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Takashi Kawamura (politician)|Takashi Kawamura]], former Mayor of Nagoya{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Shintaro Ishihara]], former governor of Tokyo, and co-author of the controversial essay, "[[The Japan That Can Say No]]"{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Seiji Maehara]], a hardliner and former Minister for Foreign Affairs{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Shoichi Nakagawa]], Chairman of the Policy Research Council of the [[Liberal Democratic Party (Japan)|Liberal Democratic Party]] (LDP){{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Keizo Takemi]], an LDP member and head of the "Young Lawmaker's Group"{{cn|date=October 2014}}
*[[Ichita Yamamoto]], head of the LDP team studying [[International sanctions|sanctions]] on North Korea{{cn|date=October 2014}}

== Allies ==
[[Junichiro Koizumi]], a former prime minister preceding Shinzo Abe, is a conservative in the foreign policy arena, and receives support from the neoconservative legislators, but is not himself considered a neoconservative{{cn|date=February 2025}}.

== See also ==
* [[Political extremism in Japan]]
** [[Uyoku dantai]]
* [[North Korean abductions of Japanese]]
* [[Japanese history textbook controversies]]
* [[Politics of Japan]]
* [[Sino-Japanese relations]]
* [[Japanese nationalism]]
* [[Ultraconservatism]]

==References==
*[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503140043.html Japan's 'Neocons' Feel No Debt to Korea] from the ''[[Choson Ilbo]]''
*[http://english.donga.com/srv/service.php3?biid=2005031679208 Korea-Japan Relationship Going Sour] from ''[[Dong-a Ilbo]]''
*[http://www.japantimes.com/cgi-bin/getarticle.pl5?fb20040530a1.htm Geography, history flex E. Asia's 'quadrilateral'] from the ''[[Japan Times]]''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20050426045208/http://www.time.com/time/asia/magazine/article/0,13673,501050502-1053688,00.html Standing Their Ground] from ''[[Time (magazine)|TIME Asia]]''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20030707210613/http://in.news.yahoo.com/030427/137/23umh.html North Korea nuke threat gives ammunition to Japan hawks] from [[Reuters]], by George Nishiyama, April 27, 2002
*"Communists soften their stance as Japan shifts to the right: The JCP's realisation that it needs to whittle away its harder ideological edges has arrived late in the day" from the ''[[Financial Times]]'', by David Ibison, June 26, 2003
*"Former ally returns as thorn in PM's side" from the ''Financial Times'', by David Pilling, October 28, 2003
*"US-Japan Alliance May Become Obstacle to Peace in East Asia" from ''[[Ta Kung Pao]]'', by Ma Hao-liang, November 25, 2005
*[http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503300041.html Without Asia's Trust, Japan Will Remain a Political Pygmy], from ''Choson Ilbo'', Editorial, 30 March 2005
*[http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/20050903TDY04002.htm POLITICAL PULSE / LDP reinvents itself as neocon] from the ''[[Yomiuri Shimbun|Daily Yomiuri Online]]'', by Takashi Oda, September 3, 2005 &mdash;uses a slightly different definition of "neocon", alleging that:
:''"...the LDP has begun to shift from conventional conservatism, in which reallocation of benefits is dependent on adjustments within a community, to neoconservatism, which prioritizes independent individuals and the market mechanism, and seeks to create a small government through deregulation."''

{{Conservatism}}
[[Category:Conservatism in Japan|*]]
[[Category:Japanese nationalism]]
<!-- [[Category:Neoconservatism]] (Japan's neoconservatism is separate from the 'neoconservatism' in the general sense.) -->
[[Category:Politics of Japan]]