Japan Likely to Enact Bill to Criminalize National Flag Vandalism

Tokyo, June 16 (Jiji Press)–The Diet, or Japan’s parliament, is highly likely to enact legislation that would criminalize vandalism of the national flag during its current session set to end next month, after the opposition Democratic Party for the People threw its weight behind the bill on Tuesday. DPFP leader Yuichiro Tamaki told a press conference that his party would join the ruling bloc as a co-sponsor of the bill, after the DPFP and the Liberal Democratic Party, the dominant partner in the ruling coalition, agreed to modify the legislation. The DPFP’s backing paves the way for the bill’s passage through the House of Councillors, the upper Diet chamber, where the ruling bloc is a minority force. The coalition dominates the House of Representatives, the lower chamber. The legislation calls for a prison sentence of up to two years or a fine of up to 200,000 yen for publicly damaging the national flag “in a way that causes people to feel extremely uncomfortable or disgusted.” The LDP and the DPFP agreed to exclude from the scope of punishment the act of posting videos of damaging the national flag on social media. Punishable acts “will be limited from the viewpoint of freedom of expression,” Tamaki said, adding, “The brakes will be applied.” LDP policy chief Takayuki Kobayashi told a party meeting that talks are underway for four parties to co-sponsor the bill, referring to the LDP, the Japan Innovation Party, its coalition partner, the DPFP and Sanseito, another opposition party. The LDP and the JIP agreed in their coalition deal to enact the bill during the ongoing Diet session, which will end July 17. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]