BY YUKA HAYASHI
TOKYO—A bitter confrontation with China following a ship collision in the East China Sea is fueling nationalism among Japan's conservative politicians and right-wing activists, energizing them in their attacks on Prime Minister Naoto Kan's center-left government.
As the dispute over the collision continues unabated, conservative lawmakers such as former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara have harshly criticized the government's decision to release the captain of the Chinese trawler that slammed into Japanese coast guard ships in disputed waters, saying Japan needs to stand firm to defend its territory.
While Japan's general public, increasingly acclimated to the ...
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