The criticism about the treatment of the medal is not unfounded. The medal, called the Medal with Purple Ribbon (or Shijuhosho), is awarded to persons who have made achievements in the fields of science, academia, sports, art, or music, and it is given in the name of the Emperor. Kuwata did decide to accept the medal. He could have declined to do so had he really wanted to make a political statement, but instead, he made a gesture that could rightly be characterized as disrespectful. Many right-wing protesters on the streets and on social media were accusing Kuwata being unpatriotic and taking "hannichi (anti-Japanese)" stances because of his disrespectful gestures. This backlash and protests outside of the band's production company is what ultimately led to the apology.
Nothing about the incident sounds atypical (if a bit surprising that a major Japanese artist had the guts to even go there). Big name bands have gotten into trouble for being "disrespectful" towards their governments and/or leaders. Every American in my generation probably remembers what happened to the Dixie Chicks when lead singer Natalie Maines said she was "ashamed" that she was from the same home state as President Bush because of his decisions surrounding the war in Iraq. Many accused them of being unpatriotic, they were called names, and their popularity suffered.
"Unpatriotic" is a common term levied against people who criticize the government in many countries. Although patriotism seems to be a more commonly used term and more cherished concept in the U.S. than in Japan, I somehow find the charge of lack of patriotism more sinister in the Japanese context than in the American context. Americans have a greater willingness speak up and disagree with one another than the Japanese. There are always people who will strongly push back against the idea that an artist who criticizes an American president is unpatriotic per se and actually fight for the idea that such artists to be patriots if the particular president is believed to be acting unpatriotically. In Japan, people express various opinions on social media, but they do not have the same kind of practice as Americans when it comes to flooding the streets to face off against people who seek to impose a singular definition of patriotism. There is a cultural tendency of being polite and following those who are in control at the time or ignoring people who speak the loudest even as they gain clout and grow dangerous.
America has never been under authoritarian rule and American patriotism has never been associated with such values. America, from its earliest days to this day, may have imposed questionable laws and policies in the name of country (think: Alien and Sedition Acts, internment of Japanese-Americans, HUAC, Guantanamo, NSA surveillance). However, it has always been a democracy, and the various definitions of patriotism has always involved democracy and freedom. On the other hand, Japan's "patriotism" before and during World War II was largely state-fostered and associated with the ultra-nationalism centered on the Emperor (in whose name the war was waged). After the war, a new, healthier definition of patriotism has failed to emerge.
Although the lack of patriotism in a Japanese individual isn't frowned upon in the same way as it is in an American, I don't see the same willingness in Japanese people to risk being called "unpatriotic" to push back against right-wing politicians or ultra-nationalist groups (Uyoku dantai) who go around blasting wartime-era songs and propaganda from the loudspeakers mounted on their big, black vans. It is scary to speak up and act against the government in any way that is likely to influence the government, and there is little concept of citizen-led advocacy.
The Japanese government's general conservatism would not make me as nervous as it does if Japan had a politically active citizenry and civil society. The latest controversy with Kuwata is only one incident with one artist caving to conservative backlash for making a gesture that may have been poorly thought out but was an expression that was fully within the bounds of freedom of expression. Japan is no longer an authoritarian country where insulting the Emperor is a criminal act or an act that leads to ostracization. However, civil liberties don't always disappear overnight. They can be chipped away, slowly but surely.
Japan is by no means a country where civil liberties are crushed in the way that they are in many other countries. But it is not a country where civil societies actively keep the government in line. And Japan has a history from plunging into authoritarianism even when it had an era of burgeoning democracy and civic activism. This is why Kuwata's apology makes me a little nervous about the state of Japanese democracy.
Although the lack of patriotism in a Japanese individual isn't frowned upon in the same way as it is in an American, I don't see the same willingness in Japanese people to risk being called "unpatriotic" to push back against right-wing politicians or ultra-nationalist groups (Uyoku dantai) who go around blasting wartime-era songs and propaganda from the loudspeakers mounted on their big, black vans. It is scary to speak up and act against the government in any way that is likely to influence the government, and there is little concept of citizen-led advocacy.
The Japanese government's general conservatism would not make me as nervous as it does if Japan had a politically active citizenry and civil society. The latest controversy with Kuwata is only one incident with one artist caving to conservative backlash for making a gesture that may have been poorly thought out but was an expression that was fully within the bounds of freedom of expression. Japan is no longer an authoritarian country where insulting the Emperor is a criminal act or an act that leads to ostracization. However, civil liberties don't always disappear overnight. They can be chipped away, slowly but surely.
Japan is by no means a country where civil liberties are crushed in the way that they are in many other countries. But it is not a country where civil societies actively keep the government in line. And Japan has a history from plunging into authoritarianism even when it had an era of burgeoning democracy and civic activism. This is why Kuwata's apology makes me a little nervous about the state of Japanese democracy.
