Staff writers
Although the Lower House approved a bill Thursday to legally recognize the Hinomaru as the national flag and "Kimigayo" as the anthem, the government's rush to ram the bill through the chamber has highlighted the divisions, rather than solidarity, of the populace on an issue intended to symbolize their unity.
Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and his No. 1 aide, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiromu Nonaka, have said sanctioning these symbols will help put an end to the guilt many Japanese still feel over their country's wartime misdeeds and give them more confidence about Japan before the turn of the century.