Few intellectuals in Japan today are as deeply committed to peace and democracy as Rokuro Hidaka is. The 88-year-old sociologist is a witness to Japan's aggression in China and, during the war, even went as far as proposing that Japan withdraw its troops from China, return its colonies and lay down foundations for democracy at home. In the subsequent 60 years, he has continued to strive for peace, justice and democracy as an academic.
Today, Hidaka, who lives in Paris but recently paid a rare visit to Japan, raises alarm bells about what is happening in Japanese society and politics, and questions where the country is heading. "It reminds me of what it was like before the Manchurian crisis: It's almost as if we've gone back to where we were 60 years ago," says Hidaka. "Freedom of the individual is in danger." He speaks energetically and with a clarity of mind that belies his years.
Hidaka expresses concern over the Liberal Democratic Party's push for constitutional revision. Looking closely at the LDP's proposal released earlier this month, he warns: "If this is adopted, Japan will enter a dangerous time." The LDP has deleted from Article 9 a sentence stating that military "forces as well as other war potential will never be maintained" and another sentence stating that "the right of belligerency of the state will not be recognized."