Japan Press Weekly

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2025 April 30 - May 13 [POLITICS]

Bill on national academy may exclude academics with ideologies that are not in line with the gov’t stance

During Diet deliberations on a bill to revise the Act on the Science Council of Japan (SCJ), Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Sakai Manabu said, “SCJ members who repeatedly use specific ideological or partisan arguments may be dismissed.”

Sakai, in his reply to a “Nippon Ishin no Kai” lawmaker at a House of Representatives Cabinet Committee meeting on May 9, implied that ideological selection of member scholars could take place under the revised law.

The bill in question will add a new paragraph to the “Dismissal of Members” article: When a member committed an extremely inappropriate act in connection with duties of the Council, the member shall be dismissed.

However, the term “inappropriate” is overly broad and vague.

What Sakai pointed to as “specific ideological or partisan arguments” is considered to fall under this “inappropriate” category. In addition, he cited another article in the bill which stipulates that a member who performs duties other than SCJ duties shall be subject to disciplinary action.

In the first place, scholars speak and act on the basis of their academic knowledge, whether political or not. To arbitrarily exclude speech and actions that are unfavorable to the authority at the time by labeling them as “partisan” is an infringement of “freedom of speech and expression” stipulated in the Constitution. In fact, many researchers are voicing their concern, saying, “Not only freedom of speech but also academic freedom would be in danger.”

The fact that a Minister suggested the possibility of dismissal of SCJ members after scrutinizing their ideologies is a sign that the present government will take away SCJ independence from the government. The government is blatantly trying to have the academic community engage more proactively in military research and be willing to follow the direction of inquiry as desired by the government and the business circles.

Past related article:
> Bill on Science Council of Japan aims to take away national academy’s independence [April 19, 2025]