Reply #8: When was the last time you were in Japan?

[Art_from_Ark]

I have been in Japan for most of the past 20 years and have seen it undergo significant social changes during that time. These changes are even more dramatic when compared with the Japan that existed before World War II. For example, before the war Japan

1) had a large, poorly educated and undernourished agrarian population that was mostly subservient to large landholders
2) was an extremely hierarchical and conformist society
3) had an emperor who was revered as a god
4) had a state religion (Shintoism) that was used to force loyalty to the government
5) found itself trying to enter a world (Anglo-European) community that despised Orientals
6) was competing for territory and influence with other imperialist countries (including the USA)
7) still had a large population of the old samurai warrior class
8) viewed militarism as a way of enhancing the power and status of the nation
9) had a large navy and standing army, and portrayed it as a badge of honor to enlist in the military.

All of these aspects of pre-war Japanese society have since been thrown by the wayside. Even adherence to conformity is becoming less and less pronounced. For example, a few years ago, it would have been a scandal for a young woman to dye her hair. Today, it seems like most of the young women have hair that is not their natural color.

Schools are also becoming less authoritarian. For example, it used to be common for schools to strictly enforce nit-picking, military-like rules about dress and demeanor, but that has been all but consigned to the dust bin.

Be that as it may, however, it is still a terrible idea to pressure Japan to violate its own consititution by sending troops on a military mission to any country.