Feature: I never have and never will sing Japan's national anthem, says prominent university professor

"I have had tenure at this university for more than a decade and not once have I or will I stand for the national anthem and honor the national flag during reception or graduation ceremonies and the government of Prime Minister Shinzo Abe trying to force his nationalistic ideology on educators and students will be resisted," Miyuki Hasegawa, a psychology professor at Tokyo's largest state-funded university told Xinhua requesting to use a pseudonym.

Hasegawa's ardent stand against such ceremonies are far from a minority view in Japan, with more and more teachers at state- backed schools and universities remaining in their seats when the familiar drone of Japan's national anthem "Kimigayo" begins to play; with many of those who do stand only mouthing the words or singing just not to make waves, suggested Hasegawa.

Hasegawa herself has been reprimanded by her university on numerous occasions and has been accused of being un-Japanese, unpatriotic and not proud of her country, has had her nationality questioned and even her respect of new and graduating students doubted.

"I guess you could say that twice a year after these ceremonies I 'get my hands slapped' by the powers that be here, but that hasn 't translated into an official punishment yet, although about five or so years ago I was threatened by the university's board and senior administrators that they would take the case further under Japanese law, although eventually nothing came of it," Hasegawa recalled.

While education minister Hakubun Shimomura on Tuesday leant on state-run universities to implore their educators to raise the national flag, known as Hinomaru in Japan, and sing Japan's anthem at entrance and graduation ceremonies, both of which were legally designated in 1999, in a move by the government to foster what it describes as more patriotism and national pride in its institutions, critics of the move believe that the current government is harboring more sinister intentions.

The critics are claiming that the national anthem is a solemn song that is a throwback to past imperialism that hails the Japanese emperor; calling for his divine reign to "last more than 8,000 generations" until the "pebbles grow into boulders lush with moss," and that being forced to sing the song restricts an individual's freedom of thought in violation of Japan's Constitution.

"If we're truly living in a democracy and, truth be told, if you look at the recent state of politics and governance under ( Prime Minister) Shinzo Abe then this is a rather large point of contention these days in Japan, then students, teachers and parents should have the freedom to choose whether they acknowledge the national flag and sing the national anthem," political analyst Teruhisa Muramatsu told Xinhua.

"Think about the U.K., the U.S. or France for example, its unimaginable to think of teacher there being forced to sing 'God Save The Queen,' 'The Star-Spangled Banner' or 'La Marseillaise,' because, as with all national anthems, the lyrics are hugely antiquated and don't agree with the ideals and virtues of modern society. So if an individual chooses to opt out of singing, then that has to be that individual's right. If the individual is forced to sing under the threat of reprisals or punishment, this is the opposite of liberty and something more akin to a dictatorship."

Muramatsu went on to explain that France has one of the most nationalistic and bloody anthems of all countries, quoting sections of the song as saying: "To arms citizens from your battalions, March, march, let impure blood, water our furrows... What! These foreign cohorts! They would make laws in our courts! What! These mercenary phalanxes would cut down our warrior sons. Good Lord! ..."

"Drive on sacred patriotism, support our avenging arms, liberty, cherished liberty, join the struggle with your defenders, under our flags, let victory, hurry to your manly tone, so that in death your enemies see your triumph and our glory!"

"This is a call to arms and pledge to obliterate anyone who isn 't 'pure French,' if my understanding is correct," said Muramatsu. "I can imagine in days long since past, this battle cry really rallied the troops under one banner, prior to facing their enemies in bloody battles to maintain sovereignty, but those days are long gone and France's socio-cultural demographic is one of the most diverse in the world. It would be immoral and preposterous to expect a naturalized French citizen from Senegal, for example, to sing of letting 'impure' blood water the troops' furrows," said Muramatsu, "let alone forcing that citizen to do so."

Other observers on this matter state that while Japan presents itself as being more ethnically homogenous than both its western and eastern counterparts, the fact of the matter is that Japan's bloodline, as with most countries, is something of a hodgepodge, with the only real difference being that Japan's superiority complex makes this a bitter pill for Japanese people to swallow.

Japan watchers are quick to point out that this county's ongoing misperception about its superiority does not give it the right to force such false ideologies and nationalistic ideals on its people, including, in this latest debacle, its educators, who probably, through the most rudimentary of scholarly investigation, know the truth and wish not to support or condone past imperialism by singing "Kimigayo," which means the emperor's governance and bloodline will be everlasting, as is their inalienable right.

In fact, on Dec. 23, 2001, Japanese Emperor Akihito at a birthday press conference somewhat stunned the nation when he admitted his own Korean ancestry in the imperial bloodline, undermining the widely held myth of the "purity" and hence " supremacy" of Japanese blood.

"I am Japanese and even I know that historically Japan's bloodline is hugely mixed, with historical and DNA evidence proving this island nation has blood ties with Southeast Asia, North Asia and Austronesia and probably more," Keiko Gono, a leading sociologist told Xinhua recently.

"In fact, independent DNA studies have confirmed irrevocably that around 54 percent of paternal lineage here and 66 of maternal lineage is of Sino-Korean origin, and any individual or factions claiming otherwise are simply deluded and probably still believe the earth is flat," Gono said.

Nevertheless, Shimomura and Abe, both staunch nationalists, who, along with insisting the national anthem be sung in schools and universities, are also proponents of revising text books in schools to better reflect the government's political line on matters like history and issues pertaining to Japan's involvement in World War II, to paint a rosier picture of incontrovertible events for future young students.

But as the government's seemingly relentless nationalistic march continues, a march which many pundits believe will see Japan stride its way back into militarism and wittingly put a nation of peace lovers directly in the line of fire, clearer heads are prevailing in some instances recently, including when the Tokyo District Court ruled that the capital's municipal government must pay a total of 537 million yen (4.5 million U.S. dollars) to 22 former high school teachers.

The teachers were not re-employed under a scheme that allows for teachers to work beyond the official retirement age, because they disobeyed orders to stand and sing the national anthem at graduation ceremonies and, despite a 2012 ruling by the Supreme Court, which ruled that penalizing teachers for not standing and singing the national anthem was constitutional, but the level of punishment should be "carefully considered" by administrators, a Tokyo district judge presiding over the case of the 22 teachers said that the Tokyo government's refusal to re-hire the group was disproportionate to the offense.

"There needs to be careful consideration when penalizing people because they behaved in a way based on their own beliefs," district judge Toru Yoshida was quoted by local media as saying recently on the issue.

"Abe wants flags raised and the anthem sung at all institutions from elementary school-age up, but there'll be growing resistance to this, I believe, and the case in Tokyo regarding the 22 teachers is a testament to this," Hasegawa said.

"I love my job and I love being an educator and there are many things I also love and respect about my university and, in the grand scheme of things, I would say that the university I work for is one of the more progressive ones in Japan, but just because we rely on state funds does not and will never mean we have to bow to every whim of the government, particularly ones that have overtly nationalistic undertones like forcing teachers to sing the national anthem," Hasegawa concluded. Endi