Japanese teachers being punished for not singing anthem

[question everything]

Japanese teachers being punished for not singing anthem

By Norimitsu Onishi
NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE

December 16, 2004

TOKYO – Toru Kondo, an English teacher at a public high school here, had never before been reprimanded in his 32-year career. But he was recently required to take a two-hour "special retraining course," lectured on his mistaken ways and given a sheet of paper on which to engage in a half-hour of self-examination in writing.

His offense was to defy the Tokyo Board of Education's new regulation requiring teachers to sing the national anthem while standing and facing the national flag. He and scores of colleagues refused, because for them the sun flag and the anthem, "Kimigayo," or "His Majesty's Reign," are symbols of Japanese imperialism.

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Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20041216/news_1n16japan.html

[Radical Activist]

1. Coming soon to an America near you!

[question everything]

3. Yeah, these were my thoughts, that's why I posted n/t

[Swamp Rat]

2. Good for him

Thoreau would be proud.

[masaka___]

4. Shit, there are neo-cons in Japan, too?

Japan was going to be my getaway country in case the USA went to the shitter.

[charlie]

5. Nah

There's always been hard rightists, but they're a tiny lunatic fringe.

In Japan, rules is rules. Preserving social order is more important than the intent of a rule, so if you get caught breaking one you'll pay, no matter how trifling it may be.