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Japan to teach patriotism to children

I know one Japanese kid who blew his nose with the "stars and stripes" handkerchief. An American teacher was shocked in utter surprise. National flags do not convey anything to them. It's all about being fashionable and cool.
 
It is quite rare that Japanese blow one's nose with handkerchiefs.
Get free tissues.
 
pipokun said:
It is quite rare that Japanese blow one's nose with handkerchiefs.
Get free tissues.
Click to expand...
Possibly he picked up the habit from non-Japanese people. (Free tissues? Free distribution is not that common outside of Japan.)

The point is that maybe the Japanese kids in general are not taught well about the significance of national flags. Yeah, the US sucks, but even the stars and stripes deserves some respect. Some of these kids just like the image of foreign countries. That's it.
 
Crimes related to foreign flags in Japan
1. In 1958 when Japan recognized Taiwan as the only country in China, a guy pulled down the flag of PRC.
2. In 1993, a crazy soccer freek stole the Iraq flag from the Iraqi embassy in Japan after the Agony of Doha. The embassy then generously forgave the crime.

I've never heard of any 2ch-er who burned Korean or Chinese flags in response to their usual ceremony in Korea or China.
 
Which is against Japanese penal code.
 
I am watching a TV program about the annual meeting of the Japanese Teacher Union.

I was surprised to know the children was 90% of 6th grader of local elementary school at free-for-all basis.
At the end of the ceremony, a agitator trumpeted, "NO JAPAN-US JOINT MILITARY MANEUVERS!!!" But to my relief, not all union member followed the insane agitation.

No problem if they would say loudly something like... "NO MILITAZRISM JAPAN, US, DPRK, PRC or wherever", but as always, the latter two countries are not supposed to be militaristic countries in their standard.
 
I dont see anything wrong with being (moderately) patriotic. Someone mentioned a kid blowing their nose? so what? this week i think the muslim countries have been having a sale on the union jack flags cause everyones burning one. In the UK even during sporting events E.G. world cup we were and are not allowed to fly our flag because its named racist and demeans ethnic minoritys making them feel "less" British. When your nation has these rules then you know you have problems.
You say maybe the kid didnt know the significance of national flags but then why should he? hes a KID! I wouldnt disrespect anyones flag but i couldnt give a dam either even for my own. to be offended by a kid blowing their nose is simular to how muslims have been reacting recently burning our flag. Why are hankercheifts made? when americans see these kind of products what did they think people would use them for? to put on their wall?
 
frostyg02uk said:
Isnt that what people use Bandannas for? Traditionally hankerchiefs were and are used for blowing your nose with.
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I think most people just use tissues for that now. Think about it, when was the last time you saw anyone blowing their nose with a hankerchief?
 
Hmm usually upperclass people use them here. But if i think about it this way also...when was the last time i seen someone using a hankerchief to use as a fashion accessory it has to be never.
In this case either way im sure the kid wasnt using the hankerchief to put on his head and to blow his nose. Its quite clear that they were using it to blow their nose with...and NOT to tie around their head.
 
If a nation wants to teach its children at school all about being patriotic, then surely that must be a good thing. To be patriotic is to be proud about your country and that you are one of that country's citizens. Is it worse to not feel pride in your country and to feel that you are not a proud citizen.

Slightly off topic now, frosty I always carry a hankie in my jeans pocket, it provides a perfect rest for my bunch of keys, I dont use tissues to blow my nose as I dont find them absorbant enough, and a 95 degree wash in a washing machine kills most germs.
 

While I agree with you here, I dont see the current administration here as making an attempt at teaching patriotism but nationalism. A very fine line between the two, as I am sure you know.

To truly teach patriotism imo a country and it's people must be willing to live up and admit it's faults along with it's strong points, and somehow I dont see Japan living up to and admitting it's faults anytime soon.
 
I know exactly what you mean Obeika. I am very patriotic about my country, I know it has its faults from the past, but it also has a lot of things that can make me proud to be British. But I am not in favour of nationalism in this country, it is slowly dividing parts of this island. Im just glad my dad is no longer alive, I think he would be horrorfied as to what has happened over here.

As to Japan moving forward, maybe it might happen one day............
 
you can't make anyone love anybody or anything.

you will only breed resentment
 
I dont see the current administration here as making an attempt at teaching patriotism but nationalism.
Click to expand...

Be more specific.
I will fully apologise if stupid hate crimes would be rampant after the ultra-natinalistic education.
 
Be more specific.
Click to expand...

Mmm...You know you are great at asking questions but a bit slow at answering them yourself, if you even do, so please remember that for future reference. One other thing, my Mom can talk to me this way, most other people use the word's please or could you.....

Here are a few examples of "nationalism"...

Teachers getting fired for not standing at the playing of Kimigayo.

The government's continuing insistence on recreating it's history, and that is in related to so many different sub-topics as well.

Let's not even get started on the administrations wanting to change the consititution to allow Japan to participate in "military" actions throughout the world. That also includes upgrading the JSDF to ministerial status.

THe PM's visits to Yasukuni.
 
What do you think the teacher like in the post #83 here?

You should face the fact that there are a bit different teachers having similar opinions like yours, esp., if you raise your kids here.
 
Many liberal heads concern so-called rising nationalism in Japan.

Shinpu is an ultraright-wing political group. You can find the current Japan in the result.

Upper house election 2004
128,478
(0.23ﾂ≫??
http://www2.asahi.com/2004senkyo/kaihyo/pr_tousen_hireiku.html

Upper house election 2007
170,515
(0.29ﾂ≫??
http://www2.asahi.com/senkyo2007/kaihyo/C09.html
Click to expand...

Just 0.06 increase over the last 4 years...
Curious what if some European countries would lift the law prohibiting far-right groups from running the election there.
 
hmm, I am doing a research paper on the Japanese history textbook controversy and I would appreciate if you all could help me complete a simple survey which will not take more than 2 minutes. Thank You

surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=ORI7ffddu7lM1ojSnGH4Ew_3d_3d
 
teach patriotism? how's tt possible...I think it comes in a natural way, can't be forced?
 

Cheering squads are usually like the above. I don't know why the guy did not criticise the girls' cheerleading uniform for "horrible Americanization".

The important thing is that young baseball players could not play baseball during the war. So we should keep it in mind.
Mie is infamous for high unionising rate of lefty teacher's union in Japan.

teach patriotism? how's tt possible
Click to expand...
I don't know it is possible or not, but at least I can say the students enjoy baseball matches.
 
I think the point of making the curicculums more patriotic is more of a control issue. By that i mean, they need children (As they grow) to believe what they teach and how they are suppose to act is proper. Going to school, going to college, getting a job right after at some company and working there for the rest of their lives... things like this, promoting loyalty at young ages, helps the economy stay competitive in a fast changing pacific market.
 
I just got done reading a book that might be relevant here:
Nationalisms In Japan put out by (Sheffield Centre for Japanese Studies/Routledge Series) edited by Naoko Shimazu

a couple pages of intro here:
Amazon.com: Nationalisms in Japan (The University of Sheffield/Routledge Japanese Studies Series): 9780415400534: Shimazu, Naoko: Books



Various researchers contributed chapters to this book.
*They talk about the birth of nationalism in Japan about the time of the Meiji restoration and the international models that helped form it.

*Young Japanese soldiers who were sent abroad to war, expanding their world from localities via train rides across the country and off to war. This helped form an idea of nationalism were there was none before.

*One chapter talked about the debate that took during WW1 and the League of Nations.

*Another the nationalist extremism of WW2, and various grassroots groups that helped this along. It was not merely a top-down nationalism, writes the author.

*Ainu moshiri (Ainu nationalism) and its creation.

*The 3rd textbook battle that took place in the early 90s, which had grassroots on both sides of the debate.

*And lastly the controversy over Yasukuni Shrine.
This chapter the author mentions the founding doctrine behind
the shrine and that people that wished family member's remains
be removed were denied this wish. Whether they were Japanese
citizens or victims of Japanese imperialism from Korea or Taiwan,
all families were denied their wish.


The book ends reminding us the world is not pre-WW2 era and the international influences of nationalism that do affect people's ideas of nationalism and has affected Japan in the past. Also that rather than one "Japanese nationalism", there are "Nationalisms in Japan".


I just wanted to share this book with everybody.
I'm sure there are articles or books with similar themes out there.
I got this one via inter-library loan.
 
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