Guilty ruling upheld for ex-teacher who urged parents not to stand for anthem

Thursday 29th May, 05:30 PM JST

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KaptainKichigai at 10:00 PM JST - 29th May

WW2 was 60+ years ago! Hay-Seuss! get over it already! It is 2008. The guy had a right to rebel obviously. But the issue is linked to public school teachers not following the mandate to stand during the anthem. This guy was not a teacher, he was a guest. So, he was a poor guest. But it is ridiculous to give a private citizen a fine for disrupting a ceremony. Just toss hom out. If he were still on the clock, he would get whatever disciplinary action called for in the contract he signed.
WMD at 10:15 PM JST - 29th May

Well I hope he takes it to the supreme court. Good and refreshing to see a japanese acting according to his own conscience and not just following the group. Respect.
VoXman at 10:23 PM JST - 29th May

His right to express himself is as noted in the Japanese Constitution irregardless of what the Court says. But Freedom of expression does not allow the old man or anyone else to infringe on the rights of others though. In that I think he's blameless. But to use a high scholl graduation as a place for making a political statement (premeditated) is morally wrong. Rememerb the 1976 Olympics when the black track stars decided to hold up the symbol of (black Power) during the award ceremonies? It had the negative effect of disrupting the event instead of promoting a positive mental image. By doing things like that at inappropriate times sets back the cause instead of promoting it. Ask yourself, what would Ghandi do?
NeoJamal at 11:06 PM JST - 29th May

Ask yourself, what would Ghandi do? Gandhi would ask the Court for the fullest extent of the penalty carried by the offense and dare the judges to deliver that sentence in the sincerest light of minimum standards of justice or justify it within the context of a free and democratic society that the constitution purports to protect.
NeoJamal at 11:07 PM JST - 29th May

Ask yourself, what would Ghandi do?

Gandhi would ask the Court for the fullest extent of the penalty carried by the offense and dare the judges to deliver that sentence in the sincerest light of minimum standards of justice or justify it within the context of a free and democratic society that the constitution purports to protect.
yabits at 11:48 PM JST - 29th May

WMD:

Well I hope he takes it to the supreme court.

The rulings from the low and high courts in this case only prove how tainted the courts are with right-wing politics. Like your typical kangaroo courts. There's certainly no law -- yet -- for PARENTS who are opposed to the anthem to remain seated during its playing at school functions. So Fujita-san can't be accused of asking anyone to break any laws.

Essentially, Fujita-san was penalized for telling parents the truth about the situation, and urging them to make their own positions known on it. People want to dismiss the past in their zeal to punish anyone who doesn't subscribe to their notions of proper conduct regarding an anthem as loaded with historical baggage as Japan's is. But, in law, precedence is extremely important. And fact is that for over 50 years there was no requirement for anthem-playing in Japanese schools.

Wonder what happened back in Japan of the 1930s and 1940s to those who, like Fujita-san, made their opposition to Japan's militaristic policies known. Looks to me like elements within Japan want to pick up things where they were left off during that time. Unless the law makes provisions for those who want to continue the half-century tradition of not honoring the old anthem in schools, Japan's so-called "democracy" is headed for deep trouble.
yabits at 01:12 AM JST - 30th May

I can barely stay awake trying to read your posts. You are making a mountain out of a molehill. The internet makes everyone an expert thanks to Wikipedia.

I'll be first to admit that my posts are not intended for people who feel threatened by someone else's intelligence. You should go back to sleep or just ignore my posts. Frankly, I think thou dost protest too much.

Old men/women pontificating is exactly what we need to rid ourselves of.

Your aversion to freedom of speech is noted along with your fear of the intellect.

Out with the old, in with the new.

LOL! You obviously haven't been around the block enough to understand why Solomon said "there is nothing new under the sun." By all means, keep posting. You make me laugh.
weedkila at 02:15 AM JST - 30th May

rjd_jr:

I wouldn't tolerate any teacher telling any parents not to respect the anthem of any country in the world. There should be NO double standards here.

The anthem, wrapping yourself in your country's flag and all the other patriotic nonsense are great indoctrination tools. Just ask Joseph Goebbels or Hitler. You only need to look at the attitudes of the right wingers in Japan, or the US troops fighting in Iraq/Afghanistan who mistakenly believe they are fighting for their country to see how it can mislead.

People should be be educated to treat all others equally, not to blindly follow a frickin song. Katsuhisa Fujita has my support.

He who joyfully marches to music in rank and file has already earned my contempt. He has been given a large brain by mistake, since for him the spinal cord would suffice. -- Albert Einstein
Youdontknow at 05:09 AM JST - 30th May

the ceremony was ‘‘abnormal’’

Any ceremony that forces someone to do something they don't constitutionally have to do, is 'abnormal'...

This guy was well within his rights to do what he did... ck the court system in Japan...it's so obviously full of sh!
sharky1 at 06:18 AM JST - 30th May

Many people just don't know that the anthem of Japan is a "hail to the Emperor" song. Many in Japan have a lot of issues with that. It is tied to imperial Japan. The people of Japan did not even vote on what the anthem should be. In fact, it hasn't been the official anthem until about 10 years ago when a pro emperor administration pushed it through the diet. It's no wonder that these stories keep popping up from time to time.
Scrote at 08:37 AM JST - 30th May

Once again the courts ignore the constitutional right to free speech. All he did was tell parents about the unjust punishments meted out by the Tokyo government. Furthermore, the graduation ceremony was a private event, so he couldn't be guilty of creating a public disturbance. Next they'll be fining and jailing people for expressing opinions in their own homes.
yabits at 11:19 PM JST - 30th May

The actions of Fujita-san follow a fairly modern tradition of civil disobedience. Gandhi (who was already mentioned here) and the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. are two well-known examples. Both Gandhi and King cited Thoreau's famous essay on civil disobedience as a primary influence in the course their lives took. Lesser known civil rights leaders almost always cite the essay as well. I am confident that many Japanese are aware of the writings and have also drawn inspiration from them. It would be interesting to read interviews of a cross-section of the 400+ people penalized under this rule and find out what inspired them to buck the trend and act out.

So calling this very famous essay "obscure" reveals a great deal of ignorance.

As I have long enjoyed exchanging ideas with intelligent, literate people, it delights me to learn that my style of writing also serves to have a repellent effect on some of those for whom those qualities are in short supply. I'd call that a solid win-win.
romulus3 at 02:13 AM JST - 31st May

he had guts. I support him for his attempt at protest. he was not one of the useless ones who stay quiet and do nothing. he took his protest to the big stage. I love the guy.
NeoJamal at 11:25 AM JST - 1st June

This guy was well within his rights to do what he did... ck the court system in Japan...it's so obviously full of sh!

That is a bold statement by one who presumably have little understanding of his own judiciary. What say you, can you cite a judicial dicta that would contradict the ruling of the Tokyo District Court from a jurisdiction other than Japan?
weedkila at 04:12 PM JST - 1st June

That is a bold statement by one who presumably have little understanding of his own judiciary. What say you, can you cite a judicial dicta that would contradict the ruling of the Tokyo District Court from a jurisdiction other than Japan?

He is right. The court system in Japan sucks. You can add to this the 99.9% conviction rate as well. The following was written by an associate professor at Doshisha University Law School in Kyoto.

The judges are part of an elite bureaucracy. Chosen from a small minority of those who have passed one of the most difficult exams in the world, the Japanese bar (which until recently had a pass rate of 3 percent), judges usually enter the judiciary in their 20s and spend their careers in a variety of postings around the country, often living in government housing, isolated from the rest of society.

A judge's postings reflect the progress of his or her career, which depends on annual reviews. Well-rated judges will end up in higher courts or become part of the judicial administrative apparatus.

While the criteria used by the judiciary in evaluating its members are not public, efficient docket-clearing is an important factor. So, it seems, is not embarrassing the judiciary as an institution.

In one recent case, a judge who wrote a popular book criticizing the excessive length of some judicial opinions was denied reappointment. The reason? His opinions were too short. Disfavored judges may end up spending most of their time in lower courts outside of Tokyo or other major cities, or in family court, where excessive tenure may be a sign of a stalled career. While some judges may seek out such postings, others may have joined the judiciary expecting to preside over cases of national importance rather than resolving marital bickering. Thus, other factors may be at work when the best interests of a child are adjudicated.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2006/08/27/INGD3KO4C71.DTL