Re: Transmission, Inheritance, Emulation 7
Disturbing? Maybe a little, though I'm more disturbed about Jietai recruiting posters in local Shinto shrines and soon-to-be mandatory budo training in jr. and sr. high schools. Shocking? Not in the least. It seems to me that the Japanese budo community in general swings a bit to the right wing, if only because conservatives tend to be more supportive of the traditional arts (like in most other places, I imagine). It's particularly not surprising in the case of aikido, which throughout even its official history has taken pride in strong connections to the military, the Imperial family, and right-wing organizations. I would hardly expect those connections to just disappear after the war.
|