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.Their image of Japan, Kinnia Shuk-ting Yau 147demonstrated in their work, embodies the core values of Neo-conservatism.The accomplishments of these four suggest that whiletheir opinions may not be agreed upon, they are certainly heard:Ishihara is the serving governor of Tokyo and makes frequent appear-ances in the media, Kitano is a world-renowned director hosting severalnational TV-shows weekly, Matsumoto enjoys nationwide recogni-tion as a comedian, and Kubozuka was the youngest recipient (at thetime) of the best actor award in Japan in 2001.By reviewing films thatthey are involved in, one should be able to see how the champions ofNeo-conservatism promote their cause in Heisei Japanese cinema.The rise of Neo-conservatismPopular movements in Japan in the post-war period had always cen-tered on events occurred in global politics, which forced the Japaneseto rethink their foreign policies.The Anti-Anpo Movement* took placeas Japan s joint security treaty with the US was due to expire in 1968.Tanaka Kakuei s visit to China came as an aftershock response to Nixon ssudden visit to China in 1971.The Japanese, however, had proved thatthey could just discard such concerns with the same swiftness as theyreacted to them.The Anti-Anpo Movement quickly died out afterthe treaty was signed, and the China-fever followed by Tanaka s visitsoon lost its steam as Japanese business became disillusioned with theChinese Communist Party (CCP) s policies.The Neo-conservative tide came just like its other predecessors, butit has proved to be long-living.It came into shape in the 1980s whenNakasone Yasuhiro served as the prime minister between 1982 and 1987.Nakasone, with his strong belief that Japan had already grown out of itsWorld War II shadow, promoted the idea of adopting Neo-conservativepolicies in his book Atarash%2ł hoshu no riron (The New Conservative Theory)published long before he assumed office.When he came to power, hecalled for Sengo seiji no sMkessan (A settlement of the post-war politics)7and aimed to change Japan s pacifist foreign policies for good.He aban-doned the conservative policies implemented by Yoshida Shigeru8 andproposed that Japan take a more active diplomatic stance.9 Nakasonesuggested that the Anpo Treaty was outdated and emphasized Japan sneed to rebuild its military.10 He re-evaluated Japan s role in World WarII, claiming that Japan was not an aggressor but a liberator of Asian coun-tries.11 Nakasone became the first acting Japanese prime minister to payan official visit to the Yasukuni Shrine* in 1985, as he declared that thosewho fought in World War II should be praised and remembered.12 He also 148 Rethinking a New National Identity in Heisei Japanpromoted unity through embracing Japanese traditions and values.13Nakasone supported constitutional monarchy, but disagreed that theemperor should hold any political power.However, the emperor shouldremain as a symbol of Japanese culture.Furthermore, he emphasized thatJapanese nationalism should keep up with the times, rejecting the revivalof fascism and militarism.14 These are all core values that Japanese Neo-conservatives hold today.Indeed Nakasone, even long after his retire-ment, still pushes hard to reform the Constitution of Japan and redefinethe role of the Self Defense Force (Jieitai) to a more active one.15Taking the lead from Nakasone, Neo-conservatism continued todevelop in the 1990s with Ozawa IchirM and Hashimoto RyktarM pick-ing up the baton.16 In addition, the end of the Cold War, the burstof Japan s bubble economy and the rise of China and South Korea,all contributed to the growing popularity of Neo-conservatism in the1990s, as anxiety and uncertainty grew in the public.When the ColdWar ended, Japan had to redefine its foreign policies and its securityalliance with the US because Soviet Union was no longer a threat toboth countries.17 While Japan was experiencing economic recession,China and South Korea were rapidly developing their economies.Insuch insecure times, the Japanese public increasingly turned their earsto the Neo-conservative s call for a more assertive Japan, as seen in thelandslide victories enjoyed by self-assured politicians such as IshiharaShintarM and Koizumi JunichirM.18In short, Neo-conservatism suggests: (1) Japan was not an aggressorin World War II.Therefore, the Tokyo Trial* and Article 9* should berejected; (2) Japan should build up its defense and seek equal partnerstatus with the US; (3) Japanese have lost their sense of identity andeffort has to be made to restore their pride.Since the beginning of the1990s, these ideas have formed into a dominating doctrine in Japanesepolitics and also an influential philosophy in Japanese society that hasan impact on the local filmmaking industry.In fact, many war-relatedJapanese films produced after 1990 follow a Neo-conservative agenda.There are also a number of significant Japanese personalities who canbe labeled as cultural champions of Neo-conservatism in Heisei Japan.Their support for Neo-conservative ideologies undoubtedly helped theNeo-conservative campaign to penetrate the Japanese public
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