The Revival of Japanese Right-Wing Thought and the Coincidental Collaboration of the Left and Right

Abstract

How has right-wing thought been revived in postwar Japan? This paper considers the revival from a new perspective that stresses left-right collaboration as an outgrowth of historical coincidences. Despite the appearance of conflict, the left and right wings have been deeply intertwined. In postwar Japan, there were violent clashes between the so-called left and right wings. Yet upon a closer look at the pre- and postwar periods, we can see that the postwar left wings anti-American struggles inherited the anti-American sentiment of the prewar right wing. The connection between left and right existed during the 1920s and 1930s. We can also find the connection during the formation of the Emperor System, the American occupation, the Korean War, and the Cold War. Over the decades, the right-wing thought underwent changes while staying relevant. This paper will analyze the process of change and adaptation to the times through the writings of Hashikawa Bunzō, Hayashi Fusao, Ashizu Uzuhiko, Takeuchi Yoshimi, and Matsumoto Kenichi.