The maestro of the Japanese anime world, Miyazaki Hayao, has courted controversy this week when he criticised the proposed revisions to the Japanese constitution ahead of the opening of his latest film, “Kaze Tachinu”. He also said he thought it would be better if Japan simply got along with China.
When this article was posted on Yahoo! Japan, it soon attracted thousands of comments, as netizens commenting on the article itself and on Twitter were strongly opposed to Miyazaki’s political remarks.
We’d Be Better Off Getting Along With China…Miyazaki Hayao Calls For Japan To Shelve Conflict
On July 20, the first new film of director Miyazaki Hayao, the giant of the anime world, in five years, “Kaze Tachinu”, opened in Japan. The protagonist is a young man who is based on Horikoshi Jiro, who was involved in the design of the Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter aircraft, and modelled on a story by the author Hori Tatsuo, and the story is about the drive to war following the fear of the 1923 Great Kanto Earthquake. When director Miyazaki responded to interviews for the Japanese media, he told them that “Historically, territorial disputes were solved through warfare. In order for us to avoid another war, there is nothing for it but to shelve conflict. We’d be better off if we started getting along with China”. This was reported by the Japanese language version of China Net.
Regarding the issue of constitutional revision in the world of Japanese politics, Miyazaki recently drew a reaction when he published an essay in the Studio Ghibli monthly pamphlet Neppu saying that “Changing the constitution is completely unthinkable”.
In the essay, as well as clearly stating that “To try to change the constitution amidst all this chaos is unthinkable,” the director also asserted that to carry out a revision of article 96 of the Japanese constitution, which regulates the conditions for any other revision of the constitution, was “fraudulent”.
Furthermore, aside from arguing that “When we check article 9 of the constitution, it’s actually rather strange that we have a Self Defense Force at all. It’s definitely strange, but it’s better that we don’t make it into a national defence militia”, Miyazaki also expressed his thoughts on the comfort women issue, saying that Japan should apologise and pay compensation.
From Yahoo! Japan:
[In order of most upvoted]
日本の良心（xcx…）さん:
I want him to put himself in the shoes of the young people who are footing the bill for the elderly!
The young bear no responsibility for the war.
mf8（mf8…）さん:
So after you’ve sided with Korea, and ultimately been done in by them, you gonna cosy on up to China, huh, Miyazaki?
ビッグバンは韓国起源（big…）さん:
Status as national traitor confirmed.
usa*oku*hi（usa…）さん:
Until China changes its attitude, there’s no need for us to get along with them.
chi*son*ito（chi…）さん:
I lost all will to watch “Kaze Tachinu” at these remarks…
hirune（mom…）さん:
Do you really recognise evil when you see it?
Do you mean to say that you know nothing of China’s evil acts?
You, sir, are just an old man with no future.
It’s like the proverb says — with age you must follow your children.
Don’t leave the cold bathwater for the generations to come.
Your backseat driving is more of a bother for the young.
ぽん（n61…）さん:
The Senkaku Islands are Japanese territory. Until the Chinese accept this, we absolutely cannot get along with them.
I’m really disappointed in Miyazaki Hayao.
From Twitter:
ゲルマン:
I’m disappointed in you. Please allow me to label you as a national traitor. Please go back and study our history once again.
なんめり真正ネット保守:
Umm…the Japanese constitution was created amidst chaos…GHQ’s view of history is petrifying.
野澤 龍:
I’ve never really liked Ghibli’s films. I always wondered why I was the only one who didn’t like them, the only one who found them weird when they were so popular. When I see this, I kind of feel like I know why I didn’t like them.
読書メモ／情報整理・考察メモ(blog):
Is this old guy sick in the head?
まつけん:
I don’t want people like Miyazaki to make political remarks. Because then I can’t just simply enjoy his work.
Goma.K:
Even among Japanese people there are good people and there are cruel human beings, I think that he should expand his horizons and look the wider world.
横井 要:
You’d better not talk about this kind of stuff any more, Miyazaki…it’s really difficult for us to read.
ふなち:
Disappointed!!
自由気ままの涼:
Is Miyazaki Hayao anti-Japan? #Miyazaki Hayao RT #Studio Ghibli
