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Why Japan's right keeps leaving the left in the dust

Intellectual snobbery and an inability to work together are perennial problems

Isms and schisms: Revolutionary Marxist Faction (Kakumaru-ha) members corner Middle Core Faction (Chukaku-ha) activists (on the left) in a clash in Tokyo in 1968, five years after the two groups split and became bitter enemies. Japan's left has a well-documented history of factionalism, whereas rightist groups tend to be more likely to work together under the banner of nationalism. | KYODO

By Debito Arudou

Sep 6, 2015

This column has talked about Japan's right-wing swing before. The news is, it's swung so far that Japan's left is finally getting its act together.

For example, over the past year historians inside and outside Japan have joined retired politicians to demand that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe accurately portray Japan's role in World War II during the 70th anniversary commemorations last month. It didn't work, but nice try.

Or how about the decimated Democratic Party of Japan submitting a bill to the Diet that would ban racial discrimination (yes!), hate speech and related harassment? Sadly, the bill has no hope of passing, or of being enforceable even if it does (what with loopholes for "justifiable discrimination" and no criminal penalties). But, again, nice try.

Why Japan's right keeps leaving the left in the dust

Intellectual snobbery and an inability to work together are perennial problems

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