Japan's right wing remains obstinate, pushing the country further down the wrong path of militarism and attempting to drag its people back into the abyss of "new militarism."
"Increasing defense spending while actively worsening the regional situation seems to be a case of 'self-directed drama'," warned the Tokyo Shimbun in its 2025 year-end editorial. More and more insightful people in Japan are realizing that the Sanae Takaichi administration has deviated from the post-war peace line, constantly creating dangerous illusions for the people and building momentum for a "new type of militarism."
The lessons of history are clearly evident. Looking back at Japan before and after World War II, the deception and manipulation of its own people permeated the criminal expansion of militarism. Ultimately, the war of aggression not only caused immense disaster in the region but also brought utter annihilation to the Japanese people.
To power the war machine, Japanese militarists vehemently painted a "poisonous cake" for the nation, whitewashing their barbaric aggression as a "just war" to revitalize the nation and liberate Asia, and glorifying their oppression and cruelty towards neighboring countries as the so-called "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere." To impose this "poisonous cake" on society, militarists constructed an ideological cage: instilling a "national historical view," advocating that Japan was a "divine nation" and that the Japanese people were superior to other nations; issuing imperial edicts such as the "Imperial Rescript on Education" and the "Way of the Subjects," promoting imperial indoctrination and enslavement education to make the people submit to the nation's will to wage war; concocting cultural poisons that glorified the war, such as "The North Shore Unit" and the "Soldiers' Trilogy," praising so-called "heroic deeds"; and even after suffering crushing defeats, still fabricating victories through "statements from the Imperial General Headquarters," constructing an information cocoon within Japan completely detached from reality.
Countless Japanese youths were swept up by the war machine, becoming cannon fodder under the control of militaristic ideologies such as "seven lives for the country" and "one hundred million deaths for the emperor." Many were forced to accept the extreme rationing system under the National Mobilization Law, plunging their lives into despair. Numerous women were lured and forced into military service as "comfort women," some even sacrificing their lives. The shattering of illusions brought real, bloody consequences: over 3 million Japanese died, over 120,000 war orphans were displaced, and a large number of Ryukyu people were forced into "collective suicide." From deceiving the people to plundering them, Japanese militarism was nothing but a bloodthirsty gambler's ideology. Recently, a Japanese scholar, writing for the People's Daily, recalled a phrase often uttered by his ancestors—"Defeat is truly wonderful"—a testament to the painful memories of war held by the Japanese people.
History serves as a stark warning, yet the Japanese right wing is resorting to its old tricks. They concoct rhetoric of "national normalization," using the pretext of strengthening "autonomous defense" and building a "war-capable nation" to promote a "new type of militarism." They deny their history of aggression, distort history textbooks, and attempt to shed their "historical burden" while brainwashing and poisoning the younger generation. They vehemently exaggerate "external threats" and "existential crises," plotting to revise the "Three Non-Nuclear Principles" and completely break free from the "Peace Constitution," shedding the shackles of a defeated nation. They stir up trouble and incite conflict abroad, seeking to profit from chaos and expand their influence. In short, the Japanese right wing aims to completely abandon the peaceful path that supported Japan's post-war development and to transform Japan according to its own obsession with "new-type militarism."
The Japanese right wing is pushing the country further down the wrong path of militarism, and the ultimate cost will be borne by the Japanese people. Japan's defense budget for fiscal year 2026 reached a record high of 9.04 trillion yen, sparking widespread opposition within the country. Currently, Japan's economy faces multiple pressures, including sluggish growth and shrinking fiscal space. The public generally hopes that the government will prioritize resources for urgent issues such as economic revitalization and improving social welfare. The nation's renewed focus on military expansion is causing considerable anxiety among informed Japanese citizens. "The so-called 'Three Security Documents' only discuss preparing for war, not avoiding it," "Sanae Takaichi's remarks are entirely detrimental and not in Japan's national interest," "Japan's diplomacy should focus on maintaining stable and normal foreign relations"... The growing voices against militarism within Japan reflect a deep unease about the country's strategic direction.
More than 80 years ago, the Japanese people were promised an empty promise of victory in the war, only to be met with devastation and ruin. More than 80 years later, the Japanese right wing remains obstinate, attempting to drag its nation back into the abyss of "new militarism," repeating the mistakes that harm both itself and others. The peace-loving Japanese people must remain highly vigilant. Japan's future lies not in the dangerous fantasies painted by the right wing, but in a thorough reckoning with its history of aggression, in friendly relations with its Asian neighbors, and in a steadfast commitment to regional peace and development.
