JAPAN

LDP divided over move to criminalize desecration of Japan's flag, sought by JIP

While some party members have called for a bill to be enacted during the current session of parliament, others express concern over freedom of expression.

By The Japan Times

• April 01, 2026 at 8:12 AM

LDP divided over move to criminalize desecration of Japan's flag, sought by JIP Photo: The Japan Times

Former Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno (left) addresses a meeting of the Liberal Democratic Party's project team as it discusses making damaging the national flag a crime, at the party's headquarters in Tokyo on Tuesday
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The ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) is divided over a proposal to establish a crime for damaging the national flag, but the party aims to reach a consensus as soon as the end of this month.At the first meeting of an LDP project team at party headquarters on Tuesday, some members called for enacting a bill to criminalize damage to the national flag during the ongoing session of the Diet, the country's parliament.But others expressed caution, reflecting concerns over freedom of expression.

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