The history of nationalist ideology in Japan

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Flag and anthem
Editorial, Mainichi Shimbun, Monday 21 May 1999. The move to legally establish the national flag and anthem gained momentum after the principal of a Hiroshima high school—sandwiched between the conflicting demands of the local Board of Education and a teachers union over the use of the de facto national symbols at school ceremonies—was driven to suicide in February.
Flag, anthem bill raising a flap
Mainichi Shimbun, Friday 23 July 1999. The nation's de facto flag and national anthem survived a last-minute flap in the Diet on Thursday to move to the brink of winning official recognition. Leftist and liberal and parties claim the symbols—the Hinomaru flag and the Kimigayo anthem—are a throwback to Japan's pre-World War II nationalism.
50 years of denial: Japan and its wartime responsibilities
Conference announcement, 18 June 2001. The goal of the conference is to highlight the Japanese government's steadfast denial of its aggression and atrocities in the fourteen Asian countries it invaded and occupied during the Pacific War (1931-1945) and its continuing refusal to apologize and compensate for its crimes against humanity.
Japanese History Textbook Raises Concerns
Asia Today, 10 July 2001. The approval of a controversial Japanese history textbook in April has prompted a wave of criticism from neighboring countries concerned about its accuracy and tone. South Korea and China have been particularly vocal about the need for a balanced portrayal of Japan's role in the Asia-Pacific region World War II.
Rising Japanese Right Calls the Tune: Hoisting the Hinomaru
By David McNeill, ZNet, 24 February 2004. In Japan the anthem is the Kimigayo (His Majesty's Reign), the same dirge that rang in the ears of millions of Imperial troops who went off to kill in the name of the Emperor in Asia during World War II. Controversy erupts every year in March when the flag flutters at graduation ceremonies across the country.