The uyoku dantai, or “right wing groups”, of Japan are an interesting and peculiar form of nationalism.  They are most popularly known for their propaganda tactics, which consists of blasting their viewpoint from so-called “noise trucks”, or gaisensha.  These are vans, trucks or buses which have been converted to their needs, mounted with loudspeakers and plastered with the names of their groups, nationalistic slogans and other markers of Japanese pride, such as the country’s flag.

Their typical purpose seems to be in hanging out in front of locations where their political enemies may be and either broadcasting their messages or just pumping out Japanese military music.  The uyoku dantai have some typically conservative agendas that those in the United States may recognize, though with a Japanese flavor.  They preach an anti-communist view, along with the glorification of Japan’s national history (even to the point of re-writing it) and the censorship of anything which can hurt Japan’s pride and spirit.

Though many of these groups are known to have ties to the Yakuza (Japanese mafia), there is usually little done to discourage their operations.  The Constitution of Japan prevents the authorities from interfering in Japanese citizens’ rights to express their ideology, and thus makes it illegal to arrest the uyoku dantai simply because they are loud.  For this reason, yakuza groups use them as fronts for other operations.

The nationalist tradition of the uyoku dantai has roots as far back as the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, when some of the more traditional Japanese wished to resist integration with the West and the threat to their national identity that it presented.  Though Japan’s national identity has certainly changed over the years, the uyoku dantai press on, seeking to send Japan backwards and into the isolationist, nationalistic mindset that once drove it to invade Korea and China and take part in World War II.  Luckily, such ultra-conservative elements are almost always the minority in any society, so Japan is likely to cruise along without too much trouble.