Coercive Allegience

Shinzo Abe administration put further pressure on public education. Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Hakubun Shimomura, made a speech to the presidents of national universities, in which he required to hoist national flag and sing the national anthem in the ceremonies of entrance or graduation. Because his request was legally baseless, most presidents are ignoring it. Historical revisionism of Abe is distorting public education, anyway.

Shimomura was careful not to be regarded as intervention to autonomy in universities. “Though it is left to voluntary decision of each school, I hope them to judge it in an appropriate manner,” told Shimomura on hoisting national flag and singing national anthem. His request was based on a statement of Abe in the discussion at the Diet in April, in which Abe demanded national universities to raise the flag and sing national anthem. The main reason was because national universities were administrated with tax money.

Article 23 of Constitution of Japan guarantees academic freedom. Furthermore, Article 19 determines that freedom of thought shall not be violated. Abe was inappropriate in asking national universities a specific ritual of showing allegiance to the nation. In the time of Imperial Japan, the government oppressed studies and speeches in universities. Academic freedom and autonomy in universities were strictly protected in post-war Japan with sincere regret on the past.

Introducing context of taxation was a fundamental threat to schools. With overwhelming decrease of students after baby-boomers had graduated, universities have been facing tough moments in school management. Shimomura reminded national universities of a fact that he would be able to control distribution of money. What Shimomura meant was that “I’m the boss, you guys know. I can cut the budget for researches, if you do not follow my instruction. Think twice.”

After the meeting, the presidents of national universities showed complicated response. “We will maintain current style next year and later. Our duty is to contribute to taxpayers through education and study, and we do not have to follow the request of national government,” told Takamitsu Sawa, President of Shiga University, where national flag was hoisted, but national anthem was not sung. Ryukyu University has never exercised both on them. Hajime Oshiro, President of Ryukyu University, expressed that he would suspend discussion on this issue in his school.

The ministry also required each national university to review the necessity of some academic divisions, such as liberal arts or educational course. It was based on a biased idea that universities should be more focused on natural science. Academic freedom reflects rich diversity of a society. Abe administration is oppressing university, repeatedly saying “Walk this way.”