Understanding Japan's Left, Socialism, Communism, and Liberalism First, a Simple Definition: What is "The Left"?

Understanding Japan's Left, Socialism, Communism, and Liberalism First, a Simple Definition: What is "The Left"? I forget whether it is the Public Security Police or the Public Security Intelligence Agency (PSIA), but they have a specific definition for "The Left." It is essentially: "The Left consists of the Communist Party and everything to the left of it." In this context, the anchor is the Communist Party. To avoid misunderstanding, I should note that this is a "security term" used by the police and public security, so it differs slightly from the general definition in the history of political thought. Since this is a public security definition, it is used to define so-called "Ultra-Leftist Violent Groups." These are groups that aim for a socialist or communist revolution and plot to destroy the current system through violence. Historically, these groups were formed centered around those who were expelled from or left the Japanese Communist Party (JCP) around the mid-1950s (Showa 30s). If you know the history and society of Japan up until around 1970 (plus a few years), this is actually an excellent definition. Even if you don't know that history and just look at modern society, it remains a definition with deep implications. However, in modern Japan, the usage of the word "Left" has become much broader. The word "Liberal" is also a bit of a chimera—hard to pin down—but nowadays, this is also generally treated as "Left." The meaning of words inevitably changes with the place and the times. Here are a few axes to consider when thinking about "The Left," or equality. Setting these coordinates makes it easier to understand. (In reality, there are more). Economic Axis: Market-oriented ↔ Redistribution / Public intervention Political System Axis: Liberal Democracy ↔ Vanguard Party / One-party rule Cultural Axis: Traditionalism ↔ Anti-discrimination / Diversity / Value renewal International Axis: Nationalism ↔ Internationalism A Rough Overview Roughly speaking, there are two main ideologies in the world. Capitalism, Liberalism, Market Principles, Exchange Economy, Democracy, etc. Leftism, Communism, Socialism, Liberalism (in the modern sense). You probably have a vague understanding of the former, so if you grasp the image of the latter, you will understand the world much better. Liberty and Equality If we try to create a society that respects Liberty (Freedom) as much as possible, it becomes something like Capitalism, and gaps (inequality) widen. A gap does not necessarily mean "inequality" in the unjust sense, nor does it mean discrimination, but the movement to achieve economic equality as much as possible is what we call Socialism or Communism. The Left originally aimed for economic equality for humanity, but setting that aside for a moment, those who aim for "equality" in a general sense are often called Liberals. The Flow of Socialism The pursuit of human economic equality has long been called Socialism. However, in the mid-19th century, Marx appeared, and in the 20th century, figures like Lenin led revolutions, making this the representative form of the Left. This is named Marxism-Leninism. Marxism-Leninism In Marxism-Leninism, the final destination of society is predetermined. This is called Communist Society. In a Communist Society, all social classes, as well as the distinction between rulers and the ruled, disappear, and the means of production are shared by everyone. No country in modern times has achieved this system. If we look for small organizations, the Kibbutz in Israel was a small community like this, though I do not know if they still exist in that form today. Marx was Naive; Lenin Could Not Afford to Be Marx believed that becoming a Communist Society was a historical inevitability. He thought that as capitalism matured, society would naturally transition to communism. Lenin and his comrades realized that even if capitalism matured, the world would not turn communist on its own. When the world becomes wealthy, workers also become wealthy. For example, once people reach a certain level of affluence, they start feeling that they don't necessarily need strict economic equality or shared means of production. Originally, "discrimination" was not the main theme for genuine Leftists (Communists)—their theme was class—but as wealth grows, people care less about who is above or below. Another example: As capitalism developed, Imperialism and Colonialism also developed. The citizens of countries that possessed colonies became wealthy and stopped caring about leftist ideology. Furthermore, when a war breaks out—World War I being the best example—citizens stop caring about equality or discrimination. When fighting a war in earnest, equality and discrimination become trivial matters. Instead, patriotism and the drive "not to lose" take over. Consequently, aside from the parties in Russia (and Germany) where revolutions occurred, the Socialist Parties in Europe collapsed during WWI because they chose nationalism over international worker solidarity. Thus, Leninism is the idea that since the world will not naturally become a Communist Society, one must artificially control the populace to make it resemble one. Lenin's Artificial Communization "Equality" is actually hard to understand when you think about it. Even if we define it specifically as "everyone sharing the means of production" or "eliminating economic gaps," it is still unclear what that actually looks like. As anyone who has worked in society knows (and I'm not dissing those who haven't), specific administrative execution is difficult. How do you practically achieve it? What are the politics, economics, laws, and institutions of the society to be achieved? How do you troubleshoot problems when they arise? The list is endless. Every society in history has surely had people struggling with these issues. The Left's ideal is economic equality, but since Marxism-Leninism is the one that actually managed to operate and influence other socialisms, understanding just that is sufficient. The Difference Between Socialism and Communism Socialism is the ideology of striving to realize human economic equality. Therefore, while you are striving for Socialism, human economic equality has not yet been realized. Communism aims for a state where economic equality is achieved, class (status differences) is gone, and means of production are shared by all. The Difference Between Socialist Society and Communist Society Since Socialism is the state of striving to realize Communism, the countries historically called "Communist countries," including modern China, are technically Socialist Societies, Socialist Regimes, or Socialist States. Whether it is past nations or present-day China, they are all Socialist States. There has never been a single Communist State in history that has achieved a Communist Society. To date, there are only Socialist States striving toward a Communist Society. The Difference Between the Socialist Party and the Communist Party The Socialist Party (JSP in Japan's context) is a party aiming for social equality. However, opinions here are somewhat disjointed. Socialism and Socialist Parties existed before Marx, and there are currents different from Marxism-Leninism. (I will explain the Japanese Socialist Party later). The Communist Party (JCP) is the same as the Socialist Party in aiming for economic equality. However, the invention of the "Communist Party" and "Communism" as we know it comes from Marxism-Leninism. Communism is more specific than Socialism; it specifies that there should be no distinction between managers and the managed (no classes) even in non-economic areas. It is also more specific in that means of production are shared by all. Since Marx wrote the "Communist Manifesto," it was Marx who popularized the term "Communist Party." The invention of Communism can also be attributed to Marx. Lenin and his associates then refined (or altered) it. More Important than the "Communist Party" is the "Vanguard Party" and Revolution There is a view that the name doesn't matter; the content is what counts. In Leninism, since a Communist Society will not occur naturally, one must strive hard to realize it. Also, what is important in Marxism-Leninism is that Revolution is necessary to change the world. Revolutions do not happen on their own if left alone. Marx and Lenin might not have wanted to agree with this reality (that it's not inevitable), but there is also the possibility that even if the world changes, it won't become a Communist Society, or that the premise of a "final destination of history" is wrong. It is good to have a broad perspective to organize these thoughts. Regardless, in Marxism-Leninism, the most important thing is that the Vanguard Party—the one and only party leading the revolution—must lead the revolution and strive to transition the world into a Communist Society. Therefore, rather than the name "Socialist Party" or "Communist Party," being the Vanguard Party that bears the brunt of the revolution is the most important concept. For a revolutionary, being a member of the Vanguard Party is the supreme duty. Lenin Created the "Communist Party" Because He Was Disgusted with the Socialist Party It was Lenin who established the "Communist Party" as a brand. You might retort, "Didn't Marx publish the Communist Manifesto?" Well, yes, but let's gloss over that for now. World War I was a major turning point in the history of the Left. You might say, "Obviously, because the Russian Revolution happened," and that is true. But more importantly, during WWI, the Socialist Parties of European countries became more obsessed with patriotism and winning the war than with human equality. "Economic equality" was put on the back burner, and the solidarity of Socialist Parties across countries vanished. At this time, Mussolini, who was rated as Italy's number one Socialist, realized, "Humans have stronger feelings for patriotism and winning wars than for economic equality." (Trivia: This is where Fascism originated). Anyway, Lenin, enraged by the pathetic state of the Socialist Parties in various countries, named his Bolsheviks the "Communist Party," which is the origin of the modern Communist Party. Think of it as a name chosen to differentiate themselves: "We are different from those pathetic Socialist Parties in Europe." Let's Summarize for a Moment "The Left" is broadly a way of thinking that advocates for human equality. The terminology originates from the French Revolution ("Liberty, Equality, Fraternity"). Socialism existed before Marx, and it is also an egalitarian ideology. After Marx, it added "no classes, economic equality, and shared means of production." The word "Equality" is originally ambiguous. However, at that time (and perhaps still today), the mindset of judging everything by money was strong. For those whose mental resources are occupied by money, "Equality" easily short-circuits to "Money Equality," "Gap," "Poverty," or "Rich people are evil." Marx was, from Lenin's perspective, somewhat optimistic/naive, thinking "If the current capitalist society develops, it will automatically become a communist society" (a flower-garden mindset). However, as time went on, many signs appeared that things wouldn't go as Marx theorized. Lenin, facing this problem, used brute force to cause a revolution (or hijacked one). Several revolutions occurred during WWI, for example, in Germany. But the only one that succeeded in the direction of Communism was Russia. Germany went from an Empire to a Republic, even though Germany was far more advanced in capitalism than Russia. In Russia's case, Lenin and others strove to bring the revolution closer to the realization of Communism, resulting in the USSR. However, after the revolution, they were fighting a civil war against counter-revolutionary forces, so it wasn't as if Socialists purely executed the revolution or ruled the country peacefully from day one. A civil war ensued, but perhaps because of heroes like Trotsky, the Communist Party succeeded in taking power in Russia, forming the Soviet Union. Reality Does Not Go Like the Ideal The Soviet Union was not a Communist system, but its official stance (or pretext) was to aim for Communism. However, trying to aim for Communism in a country like Russia, which was a serfdom rather than a mature capitalist state, was not easy. According to Marxism, you must first make the country a mature capitalist state. But under Leninism, waiting for capitalism to develop and mature naturally (as per Marx) was no longer an option. Since it was impossible, Leninism dictates that the Vanguard Party (Soviet Communist Party) must lead the nation and citizens to build a mature capitalist state (state capitalism). But that is difficult. The Russian Empire was already trying to modernize, though opinions vary on the speed. It is even possible that modernization/capitalization could have proceeded better under the pre-revolution order. They were carrying out reforms. But due to losing WWI, the chaos of the Civil War, Stalin (who defeated his rival Trotsky) implementing tyrannical rule, WWII, and international isolation, the Soviet Union remained a poor country with bad economic policies, failing to achieve mature capitalism. "Communist Country" is Confusing Since there is no country with a Communist Society in history, the USSR was not a Communist Country. The USSR was a Socialist Country. However, if we define a "Communist Country" as "a country aiming for Communism," then it was a Communist Country. Furthermore, the USSR was a one-party dictatorship by the Communist Party. In the sense that the Communist Party was superior to the State and ruled it, one can understand the urge to call it "Communism" if one doesn't know what a Communist Society actually is. Also, the Left generally has high pride and likes to sound cool. Lenin called this "Left-Wing Infantile Disorder" (believed to be the origin of the term Chu-ni-byo or "Middle School 2nd Year Syndrome"). He meant they should discard petty-bourgeois emotions and be thorough, but this "Chu-ni-byo" seems to be a chronic disease that persists even in the modern CCP. Because of their high pride, they would rather call themselves a "Communist Country" than a "Socialist Country" because it sounds cooler. Conversely, in liberal countries, "Communist" is a slur. It feels better to label the USSR as "Communist" and badmouth it than to call it a Socialist Country. Perhaps due to these interlocking motives, the USSR, the Eastern Bloc during the Cold War, and modern China are often called "Communist Countries." Words can mean whatever we want as long as we define them clearly when necessary, but these various intentions have meshed to create the usage of "Communist State." The problem that became apparent around 1970 was: "Does the Left actually intend to create a Communist Society?" Two-Stage Revolution Theory Since a country like Russia was not a mature capitalist country, Marxism did not apply. Marx wrote that if a revolution occurs in an immature country, it will fail and lead to worse economic monopoly and inequality. When asked by Russian revolutionaries if a revolution was possible in Russia, Marx gave a vague/non-committal answer. So, Leninism was born to aim for Communism by brute force. Leninism created various theories to adapt to reality and valued administrative execution. After Lenin, Stalin and Trotsky fought over succession. Stalin won, but from this point on, it became suspicious whether they really aimed for Communism. Russia could not realize a Communist Society immediately after the revolution. They had to do something to get there. Thus, the Two-Stage Revolution Theory was born. Stage 1: Under the one-party dictatorship of the Communist Party, advance the maturation of capitalism. Stage 2: Launch another revolution to finally eliminate the Communist Party and the ruled class, creating a Communist Society where means of production are shared and economic equality exists. However, under the one-party dictatorship, the Nomenklatura (ruling class) governed and matured the economy, but for some reason, every country stops here. In both the USSR and China, after the Communist Party's dictatorship succeeded, party members became a privileged class, became wealthy, and the gap with other citizens widened. This Two-Stage Revolution Theory became the cause of the split between the Koza-ha (Lecture Faction) and Rono-ha (Worker-Peasant Faction) in the pre-war Japanese Communist Party. This is important in JCP history. The Koza-ha believed Japan still needed to undergo two revolutions (Democratic then Socialist). They swallowed the Comintern's "1932 Thesis" whole. The Rono-ha took an independent route, believing the Meiji Restoration counted as the first stage, so only the final revolution remained. This conflict carried over into the post-war conflict between the International Faction and the Mainstream Faction (Shokan-ha), though there was a break due to the war. Corruption of the Communist Party Once a one-party dictatorship of the Communist Party was established, they did not move toward establishing a Communist Society. This is true for both the USSR and China. The USSR actually obstructed countries trying to create a true Communist Society. Examples: The Hungarian Revolution and the Prague Spring. In Hungary, workers tried to carry out the "next revolution" to share means of production and eliminate class gaps, but the USSR crushed it with military force. In the Prague Spring, when they tried to mature capitalism (liberalization) after the party dictatorship, the USSR crushed that too. Once you taste the sweet nectar of power, you don't want to let go. Japan was unique in that the Samurai voluntarily discarded their privileges during the Meiji Restoration; usually, it doesn't go that way. The USSR under Stalin was particularly bad; instead of the Party, it advanced a one-man dictatorship, which actually lowered national power. China was also terrible; Mao Zedong started the Cultural Revolution, a strange event different from Marxism-Leninism. Mao was good at starting revolutions but likely unsuited for the work of realizing a Communist Society afterward. Or perhaps he didn't understand the Communist Party or Marxism-Leninism. He might have just been a professional revolutionary. The Japan Communist Party (JCP) Was Competent Socialist movements were active in Japan since before the war, adopting Marxism-Leninism early on. The JCP was formed with Soviet help. However, due to internal strife (lynchings), government oppression, and the wartime regime, it quieted down. After the war, GHQ (General Headquarters of the Allied Powers) was favorable to the Communist Party and released imprisoned communists. Not only political prisoners but also figures like Kenji Miyamoto (later JCP Chairman), who was imprisoned for a criminal offense (bodily injury resulting in death), were released in the confusion. In 1947, they tried to launch a General Strike, but GHQ stopped it. There were many leftists within the US administration and GHQ itself, but a general strike with millions of participants would have ruined occupation policies. At this time, people like Tsuneo Watanabe (Nabe-Tsune of Yomiuri Shimbun) and Ujiie (Nippon TV) left the Communist Party. Nabe-Tsune achieved social success using skills cultivated in the Communist Party but shifted to the right. In 1950, the Korean War began. Before that, China had become Communist. The US started to panic. If Japan was lost, the regions Japan used to govern would turn leftist. The US had to prevent the communization of Asia in Japan's place. Here, the US and GHQ were forced to accept pre-war Japan's claim: "Japan was just fighting to prevent Asia from becoming Communist." The US was angry at Japan and planned to keep Japan as a country with an economy smaller than the Philippines forever, but they changed course. They changed the strategy to make Japan a bastion against Communism (The Reverse Course). When the Korean War started, the Cominform (Soviet organization) instructed the JCP to start a civil war in Japan, and the JCP went along with it. They couldn't start a full civil war, but they started armed uprisings/struggles, killing police officers and forming covert ops teams (Mountain Village Operation Units) to cause disturbances. In 1955, when the Korean War ended, the JCP stopped the armed struggle. Kenji Miyamoto took real power and reigned as the Chairman for 40 years. Also in 1955, the Left and Right wings of the Socialist Party merged to form the Japan Socialist Party (JSP), and the Liberal Party and Democratic Party merged to form the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), creating the 1955 System. At this time, the "Revolutionary Army" or rear-disturbance teams that were fighting in the field were expelled, left, or purged from the JCP, becoming the origin of the New Left. Bad timing followed: In 1956, the Criticism of Stalin occurred, and the Soviet suppression of Hungary lowered the authority of the Communist Party. At the 6th National Conference (Roku-Zen-Kyo) in 1955, perhaps because the Korean War ended and there was no need to disturb Japan militarily, the JCP changed its policy to not openly advocating armed revolution but gaining seats in the diet to prepare for revolution. However, they didn't discard violence; it is still necessary at the final stage or some stage of the revolution. So they adopted the "Enemy's Behavior Theory" (Teki no Dekata Ron). This means they will use violence depending on how the enemy (the state or other parties) acts. For example, during the University Struggles, the JCP formed the "Capital Student Federation Action Squad" (also called the Akatsuki Action Squad) to fight against New Left students to protect universities that were JCP strongholds. After the struggles, when the Action Squad became inconvenient, the JCP kidnapped and confined members to force ideological conversion (purge). This is when the "Enemy's Behavior Theory" is used. In Marxism-Leninism, being the Vanguard Party is more important than the name "Communist Party." Since the JCP, which was supposed to be the Vanguard Party, seemed to be making mistakes or doing the wrong things, the idea that "The JCP is not the Vanguard Party" spread. So, the feeling grew that "We must create a proper Vanguard Party to replace the JCP," leading to the formation of the New Left. The Protagonist of the 1960 Anpo Struggle Was the New Left By the Public Security definition, the "Left" refers to the JCP and those to the left of it. Those to the left of the JCP are called Ultra-Left (Kyokusa). Since the JCP seemed to have lost its qualification as the Vanguard Party, various factions formed to replace it. First, in the late 1950s, the Communist League (Bund)—the parent body of the Red Army Faction (Japanese Red Army, United Red Army)—was formed as the First Bund to crush the 1960 Security Treaty (Anpo). They succeeded in making Prime Minister Kishi Nobusuke (Shinzo Abe's grandfather) resign, but the treaty was extended, so the movement failed, and they dissolved. Also, the Revolutionary Communist League (Kakukyodo), the parent of Chukaku-ha (Middle Core Faction) and Kakumaru-ha (Revolutionary Marxist Faction), was formed in the late 50s. This organization upheld Trotskyism rather than Stalinism. In 1960, when the JCP decided to take an independent Japanese route separate from both the Soviet and Chinese Communist Parties, even more New Left groups appeared. So many groups formed that they are referred to as "5 Streams, 13 Factions," or by analogy to martial arts schools, "5 Streams, 24 Factions," but the number was actually much larger, and no one fully grasps the exact number or content. The JCP Remains in the 1955 System (With Some Changes) to This Day If the "Left" refers to the JCP and the Ultra-Left (as per Public Security), what is the Socialist Party (JSP)? Like the LDP, the JSP was a hodgepodge from its inception in 1955. At the 6th National Conference, the JCP integrated its factions (International vs. Mainstream), purged its military wing, and those opposed to the new line left, making the JCP very streamlined. Because the JCP became streamlined, many New Left groups formed, but unlike the JSP (which was inherited by the Democratic Party of Japan, and now the Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan [CDP], and parts of the Democratic Party for the People [DPP] and the Social Democratic Party [SDP]), the JCP lost its messiness and continues to this day. This makes it easier to understand. What is the Socialist Party? The Socialist Party has been considered "Left." They probably self-identified as such. After the Cold War, the JSP merged with the LDP or took power, then became the DPJ -> DPP -> DPJ again -> and split into the CDP, DPP, and SDP. The Socialist Party is a hodgepodge. The US was likely involved, perhaps supporting the creation of the Socialist Party in 1955 just as they did the LDP. Initially, the JSP didn't have conservatives or right-wingers like the LDP (I will omit definitions of conservative/right-wing here). Although called the "Socialist Party," it contained two different things: Social Democracy and a Socialist Party aiming for Communism. Social Democrats try to adjust economic equality within capitalism and parliamentarianism. They do not deny democracy or capitalism; they affirm them. You could call it "Modified Capitalism." They do not aim for revolution or a Communist Society. They deal with economic disparity and poverty within democracy and economic liberalism. At this stage, they differ from Marxism-Leninism, Socialism, and Communism. Think of the JSP as: apart from the Social Democrats, the rest aimed for economic equality without being hardcore Marxist-Leninists. Actually, there were hardcore Marxist-Leninists, but they couldn't get in, didn't enter, were kicked out, or left on their own. There is also a stream of German-style communism (Rosa Luxemburg, etc.) rather than Soviet-style. Marx was German, after all. He likely had more German friends than Russians. The troublesome thing about the Socialist Party is that it has a history of being a target for Entryism (Infiltration Tactics) from the New Left. Entryism is the tactic of entering an organization, transforming it from the inside, and hijacking it. It is often more efficient than starting a group from scratch. Generally, organizations other than the JCP are weak. New groups disappear like bubbles. It is faster to hijack an existing organization. Entryism has been around for a long time, but in the communist tradition, it is a Trotskyist tactic. The Socialist Party has historically been used as a target for Entryism. Composition of the Socialist Party The JSP was formed by merging the Right-wing Socialists and Left-wing Socialists. From that flow, the intra-party right was the Structural Reform Faction, and the left was the Kyokai-ha (Socialist Association Faction). Both the JCP and JSP had youth organizations. The JCP has Minsei (Democratic Youth League), and the JSP had Shaseido (Socialist Youth League). Other subordinate organizations include Labor Unions, armies (if aiming for armed revolution, like Chukaku-ha's Revolutionary Army or Kakumaru-ha's Pursuit Squad), intelligence agencies, and covert ops agencies. Controlling universities is important. If you have a base at a university, you can recruit students, expand party membership, infiltrate faculty and staff, and place graduates in various organizations to sow seeds. This is sometimes called "Cells." Though sowing too many cells might be why factions increased. For example, Hosei University is Chukaku-ha; Meiji and Kyushu U were Shaseido Kaiho-ha (Kakurokyo); Todai's student council was JCP Minsei, but for a time in the 80s, the New Left recaptured it (the chairman at that time later became the Mayor of Akashi). Knowing this changes how you view current news. Unions also have JCP routes, but National Railway unions were strong yet chaotic. To weaken them, Nakasone and Kakumaru-ha teamed up to privatize JNR (National Railways), and it is said Kakumaru took over the current JR Soren (JR General Confederation). Or that the state privatized the Post Office and NTT to weaken their unions. People who know, know. You can't understand the DPP or CDP without knowing about Rengo (Japanese Trade Union Confederation) and whether it's Sohyo-based or Domei-based. This isn't necessarily about spies or foreign conspiracies; it's often just that people who lived through it know, but it's not discussed in the media due to "adult circumstances." Foreign spies and conspiracies exist, but often things are labeled as such simply because people don't know the domestic history. If you know the history, you understand "that's just how it is" without needing to blame China, and you stop dividing everything into simply Left or Right. However, you can't say "The Socialist Party isn't Left because it's not the Communist Party" without understanding Entryism. One of the founders of the New Left group Kakukyodo (which split from the JCP) was Ryu Ota, the introducer of Trotskyism to Japan. Kakukyodo was a Trotskyist group. It split several times into Chukaku and Kakumaru, but Ryu Ota split early on into the Fourth International and continued to enforce infiltration tactics into the Socialist Party. "Entryism" (Kanyu-senjutsu - Note: corrected from "Karyu Senju" in source) is a core technique of "Pure Trotskyists" (Jun-Toro - Note: corrected from "Toluene"), so they are thorough. The Socialist Party was a "grass-cutting field" (hunting ground) not just for the Fourth International but for various New Left groups and domestic/foreign entities, so it is impossible to separate the Socialist Party from Communism or the Left. Structural Reform, Kyokai-ha, and Kaiho-ha The Right-wing after the Socialist merger advocated Structural Reform, influenced by Eurocommunism or Antonio Gramsci's "Position War" (War of Position). This is a method of securing positions and advancing little by little. You might say this is the same as Social Democracy, and perhaps it is. Or, if they advance the Position War and do a violent revolution at the very end, it might be no different from the Communist Party. The Socialist Party's Left-wing, Kyokai-ha, were theorists, so they were not unrelated to Socialism, Communism, and Marxism-Leninism. Their leader, Itsuro Sakisaka, according to former communist Eiichi Tanizawa, intended for the Soviet Union to liberate Japan. This is the Leninist tactic of "Defeatism" (Revolutionary Defeatism)—the theory that revolution is easier when one's country loses a war. Then, a third pole appeared, which would become Shaseido Kaiho-ha (also called Kakurokyo). This ultra-left group joined hands with Kyokai-ha to overthrow the Structural Reform Faction. Later, Kyokai-ha split into the theoretical Sakisaka Faction and the practical Ota Faction (associated with the movement on the ground), and the Ota Faction teamed up to weaken the Sakisaka Faction (Sorry, it might be the reverse). In short, like the LDP, it was disorganized. It remains the same today. After the Cold War, they formed a coalition government with the LDP (Murayama Cabinet), changed party policy, lost support, and most flowed into the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ). Broadly speaking, the Sakisaka lineage moved to the Socialist Party/Democratic Socialist Party (DSP - conservative-leaning, Domei union base), and combined with the Ota lineage, they shifted to the DPJ. When the LDP/Komeito took power back, they "laundered" the party name to Minshinto, then back to DPJ, then split into the Constitutional Democratic Party (CDP) and the Democratic Party for the People (DPP). The support base for both is Rengo, but it would be clean if CDP was Sohyo-based and DPP was Domei-based, but it doesn't work that way. Due to electoral reforms and recession, there are people who just want to be politicians regardless of ideology. If they can't run from the LDP but can become (or stay) politicians via the Democratic Party, they don't mind. Therefore, while I touched on the Socialist lineage, the reason why the CDP has its specific vibe or why the DPP supports progressive/core policies that dismantle the family registry system involves all these background circumstances. The Meaning of "Left" Expands Looking at it this way, the JCP is the King of the Left. The New Left ended up with only Chukaku-ha and Kakumaru-ha remaining, so the "flowers of evil" that inherited the old Socialist Party—parts of the CDP and DPP—could be called Leftist because they aim for revolution/communism (via infiltration roots). However, the old Socialist Party is like the Shibuya Scramble Crossing for various organizations, so you can almost ignore it. Depending on your view, you can trace Japan's anti-Japanese or masochistic thought to pre-war Leninism (Anti-Imperialism/Anti-Colonialism), the Soviet "1932 Thesis" (grudge against Japan), post-war GHQ's "War Guilt Information Program," or the 1970 "Kaseito Accusation" (Chinese youth struggle) after the student movement failed. Also, some New Left activists began shifting their direction toward discrimination against Buraku/former colonies, women's rights, Ainu discrimination, Environmentalism, Vegetarianism, Spiritualism, and New Religions. The Left is a political ideology/activity pursuing human economic equality. Marxism-Leninism combined this with practical revolutionary methods and Anti-Imperialism/Anti-Colonialism (which weren't prominent in Marx's time). The goal was: Revolution -> Vanguard Party Dictatorship in backward countries -> Mature Capitalism -> Second Revolution -> Communist Society (no classes, shared production). This has absolutely nothing to do with discrimination or the environment. In fact, for a true revolutionary, Lenin argued that such things are petty-bourgeois justice ("Left-Wing Infantile Disorder") that hinder the revolutionary movement. It didn't matter to Marx either. They probably thought small matters would resolve themselves once the big matter was settled. However, Japan went from incredible poverty and devastation after the war to becoming one of the world's richest countries with a "100 million middle-class" society by the 1970s. It was often said, "Japan is the most successful socialist country." In other words, Japan became a success story of the Left, achieving the most human economic equality in history. Despite not being a Communist Society, Socialism and the Left succeeded. Aside from Japan, most advanced countries saw economic gaps shrink and approached equality after WWII until around 1970. Some said "it's not enough," but advanced countries tended to become richer and more equal than China or the USSR. Liberalism, PC, Discrimination, and Environment Enter the Left If Marx's theory were correct, a revolution should have occurred in a country like present-day America. If a revolution occurs in current America and results in a classless society with shared production, Marxism is proven right. Otherwise, Marxism was wrong from the start. We must observe if such a change happens in America. For Marx, Lenin, Stalin, Trotsky, and Mao, discrimination and the environment were trivialities unrelated to theory. So, these things were not in the Socialist ideology of the Marxist-Leninist lineage. However, if the modern ideal is "Equality," then inequality is bad even if it's not economic or human. The USSR lost credibility due to Stalin, Hungary, Prague, Afghanistan, and the Cold War collapse. By the late 1960s/1970s, Marxism-Leninism was dying down in the West. Perhaps because of that, non-Marxist-Leninist Socialism, aiming for equality—specifically Discrimination issues—became trendy. Equality, Discrimination, and Liberty are separate concepts. Since Liberty creates gaps, it might be better to focus on Gap vs. Liberty. Equality, Discrimination, and Inequality (Gap) are all independent events/concepts. Inequality does not necessarily mean there is discrimination or a gap. Discrimination does not necessarily mean there is inequality or a gap. A gap does not necessarily mean there is inequality or discrimination. The Left's misunderstanding is assuming Equality = Good = No Discrimination. Reality is: Equality (Economic) ≠ Non-Discrimination (Human Rights) ≠ Liberty (Political). The USSR had "Equality," but no "Liberty," and it had "Discrimination" (purges). Knowing this or not, discrimination issues became linked to Equality/Socialism. Some people likely woke up to discrimination issues without any Marxist-Leninist background. However, many converted from Marxism-Leninism to discrimination issues. Perhaps because discrimination issues were repressed in Marxism-Leninism as "petty-bourgeois justice," they flowed there. Or, we can consider that the trend of discrimination issues from this period arose from many factors, even if unrelated to Marxism-Leninism. Like a multi-factorial disease. Mixing Like Entropy Although discrimination was alienated in Marxism-Leninism, in the broader view of Left/Socialism, Equality and Discrimination relate easily. Even if independent, they correlate. High correlation coefficient, practically speaking. "Equality" without "Human" and "Economic" relates easily to Discrimination. "If there is discrimination, it is unequal." This feels intuitively correct. The contrapositive, "If equal, there is no discrimination," also feels intuitively correct. You can think of examples where economic inequality doesn't generate discrimination. There are many people richer than the Emperor, but no one discriminates against the Emperor. (Some twisted people might). When you add "Human," it becomes anthropocentric. "Living things are all equal, so we shouldn't eat animals." Some think this way. Ryu Ota, one of the founders of Kakukyodo and the introducer of Trotskyism ("The Bomb Dragon," "Guru of Bomb Struggle," "Guevarista"), began losing interest in revolution/communism in the late 60s and shifted to bomb struggles and Ainu Independence theory in the 70s. He gathered Buddhist monks and Shinto priests to argue that eating livestock is discrimination and preached vegetarianism. He aimed for a "natural way of life." Then he started preaching conspiracy theories: Anti-Freemason, Illuminati, Jews, International Finance Capital. Next, he claimed "Reptilians rule humanity." Setting aside Reptilians, many shifted toward modern Liberalism, PC, Anti-Discrimination, Environmentalism, and Veganism. Activists from Zengakuren and Zenkyoto (horizontal solidarity of New Left/Non-sect radicals) gathered in these directions, like "Naturalists growing organic vegetables." People influenced by this direction include (names partially redacted in source but obvious): Akira Ikegami, the host of "Asa Made Nama TV" (Soichiro Tahara), Hayao Miyazaki, Terry Ito, Mamoru Oshii, Chizuko Ueno, Naoto Kan, Yukio Edano, Banri Kaieda, Yoshito Sengoku, Masaru Sato, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Ryu Murakami, Tokiko Kato, etc. The list is endless. They permeated universities, unions, NPOs, NGOs, religious groups, government offices, local governments, schools, media, academia, parties, and ministries. Shoko Asahara of Aum Shinrikyo used "Poa" (a Tantric term), but it was used as leftist activist slang for killing. The Right is the same; regarding the Unification Church involved in the Abe assassination, they had ties to the CIA for anti-communism. In Italy's "Years of Lead," the Vatican and Mafia were involved. In Japan, Yakuza are involved with both Right and Left. For example, the Yomiuri Shimbun runs through Nabe-Tsune (1947 strike), the Anpo generation, Zenkyoto generation, and Liberal generation. The Right/Conservative side also actively hired students who "crossed the line a bit" (were active), saying "young people should be active." Italy was the same, but with the US, China, USSR, North Korea, South Korea, etc., involved, it's chaotic. But without calling it "foreign spy operations," you can understand a lot just with domestic knowledge. Those Who Are Not Left Have No "Sincere Heart" (Magokoro) Socialism is Justice. It is also Truth. The citizens (and perhaps many regions of the world) thought, and many still think, that if you are not a Socialist, you have no Sincere Heart. People who deny equality are viewed with suspicion. (Though defining "Equality" is hard). Marxism-Leninism, or Communism, is not trendy now. "Sharing means of production" (Communism) is difficult to envision in reality in this pragmatic era. Though with technology, concrete methods might emerge. Communism isn't trendy, but broad Socialism—"Pursuing Equality"—is a theme for the future. The recent trend is Anti-Discrimination/Liberal/PC, which is slightly different from Equality/Socialism, but in the current context, it is "Left." Originally, being Left or Socialist meant Justice, Truth, and Heart, so people did not hide it; they were proud. Now, "Left" might carry a faint image of "Dangerous Person." However, with Neoliberalism and Globalism going too far, we might need the Left/Socialism to try a bit harder. Everything is balance. Until humanity calms down, the Left/Socialism needs to update and strive to be a balancer against Individualism/Liberalism. Everything is best in moderation, but we tend to polarize. Reconciling Liberty and Equality, Individualism and Collectivism, is maturity. Once, GHQ and the US dreamed of "The Left" (Idealism) and made Japan a testing ground. But facing the "Reality" of the Cold War, they converted (Reverse Course). Now, we are dreaming the "New Left Dream" of PC and Environmentalism. Will this too fade before "Reality"? Or will we go as far as Ota Ryu and "Reptilians"? Either way, perhaps only "Cold Reality" (Boring Daily Life) can stop the runaway "Sincere Heart" (Justice).