Japan Press Weekly

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2022 July 13 - 19 [POLITICS]

JCP in Yamaguchi protests against imposition on schools to fly at half-mast Hinomaru flag following ex-PM Abe’s death

The Japanese Communist Party Yamaguchi Prefectural Committee and the JCP prefectural assemblymembers’ group on July 13 protested against the imposition of hoisting the national flag at half-mast at public schools to coincide with the ex-Prime Minister Abe’s funeral on the previous day. They also submitted to Governor Muraoka Masatsugu and the prefecture’s superintendent of education, Shigeyoshi Kenji, a written request demanding that the prefectural government not force public schools to publicly mourn for Abe.

Yamaguchi Prefecture is where Abe was elected to office.

The prefectural government on July 12 sent to heads of all prefectural government organizations, municipal leaders, public school principals, and superintendents of local education boards a written notice calling for flying the Hinomaru flag at half-mast in mourning for Abe’s death.

The JCP in its written request said that it is understandable for people who wish to express condolences in regard to Abe’s death. Pointing out that Abe’s funeral is not a public event, the JCP stressed that the prefectural government’s notice may constitute a violation of Article 14 of the Basic Act on Education which prohibits political activities in favor of or against any specific political party. The JCP in its document urged that how to mourn for Abe should be put in the hands of each individual and organization. Furthermore, the party requested that the prefectural government maintain this stance when other Abe-related events will take place in future.

In response to the JCP, one prefectural government official said that the notice was sent for the purpose of informing schools of the prefectural government’s response to Abe’s death. Another official said that to express condolences at schools does not constitute an act of supporting a specific political party.