TOKYO, June 30 — Japan’s lower house passed a bill today that criminalises the act of damaging the national flag, as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi pushes forward with her conservative agenda.
The bill states that anyone who publicly damages, removes or defaces the national flag in a manner that causes significant discomfort or revulsion to others will face up to two years in prison or a fine of up to ¥200,000 yen (RM5,032).
The bill cleared the lower house, where the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) holds a majority.
However, it is unclear whether it will go through the upper house, where the ruling bloc is in a minority, given significant pushback among opposition parties who say it violates a constitutional right to freedom of expression.
Opposition party members, including the Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito that co-sponsored the bill, did not participate in the lower house vote due to a dispute with the ruling bloc over a separate piece of legislation, according to Jiji Press.
The Centrist Reform Alliance, an opposition party that holds 48 seats in the lower house, has questioned the legal rationale behind the criminalisation of damaging the flag and has urged more careful discussions.
LDP veteran Takeshi Iwaya, who has served as foreign and defence minister, also decided not to vote, public broadcaster NHK reported.
“Respect for the national flag should be fostered naturally, rather than enforced through criminal penalties,” Iwaya told reporters, according to NHK.
“As a member of the (LDP), I will not oppose it, but I cannot actively support it either,” he said.
The bill has also sparked debate online, with award-winning author Mieko Kawakami criticising the legislation.
“Seeking respect for the state through punitive measures is not love, but rather a means of inducing obedience,” Kawakami wrote on X on Saturday. — AFP
