• axont [she/her, comrade/them]
    ·
    edit-2
    2 years ago

    there are...some amount of leftists in Japan. I speak an ok amount of Japanese and I've met a few by complete chance. I don't really know what to make of it. No idea where that energy might go or how it could be harnessed.

    They only have 17% union membership, which really sucks, but it's actually higher than some other rich capitalist nations. France is only around 10%, UK is only like 11%. I've also noticed anecdotally from stuff online and meeting people that "共産主義" (communism, kyousanshugi) isn't a dirty word there, it's just seen a certain type of political association as valid as being a liberal or that weird fascist Buddhist party they have. So that's something at least.

    I would say it's hopeless. Japan's currently a fascist country of course. But I don't know, there's something there. There's a weirdly high amount of class consciousness, but I could just be comparing them to Americans.

    I speak a moderate amount of Chinese too though, hopefully more one day. It's actually not as difficult as y'all might think

    • Redcuban1959 [any]
      ·
      2 years ago

      The JCP is still pretty cringe, they need to change their Anti-China stance because it makes no sense other than to appeal to conservatives that will never join or support their party. Reiwa Shinsengumi seems to be a much better socialist party that is not afraid of calling the ruling LDP fascistic and a puppet of the USA.

      • axont [she/her, comrade/them]
        ·
        edit-2
        2 years ago

        The JCP I'm convinced are controlled opposition or something. They've never gotten anywhere in the diet despite how wide-reaching their propaganda is. You can see their posters in every single neighborhood in Tokyo. They're also against nuclear energy and don't seem great when it comes to queer issues.

        Their numbers are kinda impressive though for a rich capitalist country, especially for one with Communist right in the name.

        Reiwa is promising, but they're also stuck with the same thing a lot of progressive elements in Japan are stuck with. Ever since the 2013 State Secrecy Law, Japan's been pumping tons of cash into their military and intelligence. And that probably coincides with western countries getting frightened of Xi Jinping becoming the Chinese president in 2012. So Japan's stuck in a political quagmire that reminds me of 2003 America, with tons of money funneling into military expansion, and progressive voices becoming stuck on anti-war issues as their main focus.

        • putsthecultinculture [none/use name]
          ·
          2 years ago

          Japan has the same revolutionary potential as any western white country which is to say very little. Any material support to literally any other Asian country would be better spent than going to Japan. Israel would be a better invest of material support for a leftist movement than Japan. Japan isn’t an extension of the imperial core, it is at the center of it, a weird honor for a “non-white” country.

          • Nagarjuna [he/him]
            ·
            2 years ago

            Japan has the same revolutionary potential as any western white country which is to say very little.

            Can't believe you would erase France and Greece like this

            • Vncredleader
              ·
              2 years ago

              Greece when being complimented is Balkan or Turkish. Like how when talking about Italy in a positive way Italians are then North Africans like racist euros (and plenty of northern Italians) think

      • constellation [none/use name]
        ·
        2 years ago

        Remember "The Japan That Can Say No"? By the former governor of Tokyo. The idea was that Japan should ditch the USA and form an alliance with China. That did not turn out well.

    • Yeat [he/him]
      ·
      2 years ago

      idrk anything about japanese politics post ww2 (aside from the abe assassination lmao), in what ways is their country fascist and/or anywhere i can read about it?