Nippon Kaigi: The ultra-nationalistic group trying to restore the might of the Japanese Empire
Updated
Little is known about what is perhaps Japan's most influential political organisation.
Nippon Kaigi, or Japan Conference, is an ultra-right-wing lobby group reshaping Japanese politics.
Its roll call includes Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, 80 per cent of the cabinet and about half of the country's parliamentarians.
It operates mostly out of the public eye as a kind of uber lobby group, using its 38,000 members to mobilise support and formulate the nation's policies.
Nippon Kaigi has a list of ultra-nationalist and revisionist causes; to restore the status of the emperor, keep women in the home, and rebuild the might of the armed forces.
At a recent rally of 11,000 in central Tokyo they called for Japan's pacifist constitution to be scrapped.
Yoshiko Sakuria, a prominent supporter, told the gathering that the American-imposed document had to be completely rewritten to restore pride and honour to the nation.
"We need to ask ourselves, will the current constitution of Japan protect Japan and its people? The answer is no. We need a constitution that reflects the true Japanese spirit," she said.
The biggest champion to the cause and the group's special advisor is Mr Abe.
He made an appearance at the rally via video link and said his mission was to change the constitution.
"To create a constitution suitable for the 21st century, that spirit needs to be spread throughout Japan. I seek your continued support on this. Let's move forward towards changing the constitution," he said.
At the rally members took a pledge to get 10 million signatures supporting the change. They already have 4.5 million.
Critics said the Nippon Kaigi was a cult-like organisation but spokesperson and strategic advisor to the group, Professor Akira Momochi, said it was just trying to normalise Japan.
"It is proper for an independent sovereign nation to have an army. There are no sovereign nations without one," he said.
"Armies are deterrents, they exist to prevent war.
"We'll keep our pacifist traditions but we need to respond to rising threat of China."
Nippon Kaigi claims rape of Nanjing never happened
But many in Nippon Kaigi are blatantly revisionist and want Japan to revert to a time when it was free of outside influence.
They claim that Japan liberated East Asia during World War II and did not fight a war of aggression.
They also deny some war crimes took place, including the rape and pillage of Nanjing in China, which historians estimate killed up to 200,000 people.
They are thinking about Asia before the war, when Japan was the leader of Asia. They want to repeat that. They openly say that.
Professor Setsu Kobayashi
According to Hideaki Kase, the director of the Tokyo branch of Nippon Kaigi: "There was no massacre at all. It is an utterly false accusation."
Professor Koichi Nakano, a political analyst from Sophia University in Tokyo, said the group was trying to rewrite history.
"They think it's fundamental for Japan to restore pride," he said.
"They think the kids and adults are being brainwashed by self blame and a sense of shame in their history.
"They are romantic, they are irrational, they live in their own world so they lack strategic thinking."
Professor Setsu Kobayashi is one of Japan's leading constitutional experts and was once a member of the Nippon Kaigi.
But like many in Japan, he now believes the group's ideas are dangerous.
"They are thinking about Asia before the war, when Japan was the leader of Asia. They want to repeat that. They openly say that," he said.
Professor Kobayashi now campaigns against the Nippon Kaigi in what he believes is a battle for hearts and minds.
He said the outcome would decide Japan's future.
"We have to fight and not give up. Otherwise we'll live under a dictatorship. Freedom and democracy will not exist," he said.
In response, the Nippon Kaigi said their ambition was simply to protect Japan and its identity.
Topics: history, world-politics, japan
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