Japan Press Weekly

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2012 April 4 - 10 [EDUCATION]

Osaka Mayor forces city workers to endorse ‘Kimigayo’

Osaka Mayor Hashimoto Toru is increasing his pressure on municipal teachers and workers to follow the city’s newly-adopted “Kimigayo” ordinance at the start of the new school.

The ordinance to require public teachers to stand up and sing “Kimigayo” at public school ceremonies was adopted for the first time by the Osaka prefectural assembly in June and by the Osaka city assembly in February. Both prefectural and city assemblies are ruled by the local party “Osaka Ishin-no-Kai” led by Hashimoto.

On March 24, at an opening ceremony for Ishin-no-Kai’s school for its future politicians, Hashimoto had them sing the national anthem and then told them, “How many of you held your hands in front of your body when singing the song? That’s not the correct posture.”

The Osaka City office for the first time required new employees to sing “Kimigayo” at a ceremony to welcome them on April 2. There, the mayor also told newcomers, “When singing ‘Kimigayo,’ stand straight and have your arms beside your body.”

“You will be the ones to give orders to citizens, so you have to follow rules. Otherwise no one would listen to you,” Hashimoto added.

The Osaka City Board of Education on March 14 sent a directive to all public schools in the city, ordering the principals to require all teachers to stand up and sing the national anthem at graduation and entrance ceremonies.

Strong opposition to the “Kimigayo” song remains among the general public as it was used as a symbol of Japan’s war of aggression and Imperial rule during the war.

Lawyers’ organizations have expressed opposition to the prefectural and city ordinances, claiming that they go against the people’s constitutional right to freedom of thought and conscience.