Taikosha, a roughly 100‑member ultra‑nationalist group, staged a rally at Yasukuni Shrine on the 84th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, saying recent political shifts have made its views less marginal. Since October, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and the anti‑immigration Sanseito party have moved public debate to the right on issues from immigration to national symbolism. Taikosha struggles to recruit as the bosozoku subculture fades and online platforms replace street activism, and it acknowledges ties to yakuza networks despite official scrutiny.
‘Samurai Spirit’: Taikosha Says Japan Is Tilting Toward Its Nationalist Vision
A member of the ultra-nationalist group Taikosha folds a Japanese national flag following a ceremony at Yasukuni shrine on the 84th anniversary of Japan's Pearl Harbour attack (Yuichi YAMAZAKI)(Yuichi YAMAZAKI/AFP/AFP)
Circling Tokyo in vans plastered with slogans and blared through loudspeakers, members of the century-old ultra‑nationalist group Taikosha marked the 84th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor with a small but defiant rally at Yasukuni Shrine. With roughly 100 mostly middle‑aged male members, the group says parts of its hardline rhetoric are now being echoed by mainstream politics.
Rightward Shift in National Politics
Since taking office in October, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has moved the political center to the right, taking a tougher stance on China, proposing stricter rules for foreign residents and calling for penalties on flag desecration. The anti‑immigration Sanseito party — campaigning on a "Japanese First" message and drawing inspiration from populist movements abroad — has also gained electoral ground, emboldening activists who long championed similar positions.
Taikosha’s Message and Rituals
At Monday’s gathering, about 30 members bowed toward the imperial palace, marched in quasi‑military uniforms under flags and chanted slogans such as "Samurai Spirit" and calls to "break free" from the legacy of a "defeated nation." The group, founded 101 years ago, bills itself as one of Japan’s larger right‑wing organisations, though its active membership is modest and funded by dues from members with ordinary day jobs.
"We're a bunch with the courage of our convictions. We're not at all like these people jumping on the populist bandwagon," campaign chief Naoto Ozawa, 52, told AFP. "I'd say times finally caught up with us. We've been saying this for 40, 50 years now."
Recruitment Challenges and Changing Subcultures
Taikosha leaders say they struggle to recruit younger members. The bosozoku motorcycle gangs that once fed the ranks have largely declined, while online platforms now channel much of the nationalist sentiment that previously surfaced in street activism. Gasho Murata, 56, Taikosha’s general manager and a former bosozoku member, recalled that many of his generation saw few options beyond activism or organized crime.
Contested Links With Organized Crime
Japanese authorities classify many right‑wing groups as "political societies" but warn that some maintain close relationships with organized‑crime networks. A 2020 National Police Agency report noted that certain yakuza factions sometimes pose as right‑wing groups. Taikosha’s chairman, Hitoshi Marukawa, admits the organisation has relationships with yakuza forces while denying that current members are active gang members. Some leaders praise yakuza codes of conduct as aligned with their idea of the "samurai spirit."
What It Means
While Taikosha’s visible numbers remain small, its members view the recent political climate — including Takaichi’s ascent and Sanseito’s gains — as validation that once‑fringe ideas are gaining traction. That alignment between fringe activists and mainstream politics raises questions about how nationalist narratives will shape Japan’s domestic debates and foreign policy going forward.
Reporting credits: tmo/stu/mjw
