Until the Pebbles Grow into Boulders

Tomorrow is graduation day for the third year students at my school. Their graduation ceremony is a big formal event, and I'm told it will most likely be the most formal Japanese ceremony I'll experience here. Originally, I had interpreted this as "wear a suit; bow a lot." Apparently this one takes it a step further. The national anthem.

We sing our national anthem back home in the States at graduation ceremonies as well as many other events, and for most of us it's no big deal. When I was in high school though, I was the type who wouldn't stand, sing, or cover my heart for the anthem. I did not pledge my allegiance to the flag, or to the republic for which it stands, because I took issue with the insertion of "under God," and the idea of being forced to pledge my allegiance left a fascist taste in my mouth.

Here in the land of the rising sun, the anthem presents a different set of problems. The lyrics glorify the Emperor and his continued reign, and in the opinion of many Japanese, the atrocities of WWII. This passage in particular stirs up a lot of controversy:

May your reign
Continue for a thousand, eight thousand generations,
Until the pebbles
Grow into boulders
Lush with moss

Apparently, it's not unusual for some teachers here to protest the anthem by remaining seated during the song. To these teachers, the anthem represents the old Empire of Japan and its crimes rather than the modern State of Japan. I was asked personally to stand for the anthem. I'm pretty sure all JETs are asked to stand for the song. It's the law for teachers here to stand and respect the flag and anthem at school ceremonies. Doing otherwise will often cost them their jobs, and even potentially get them into legal trouble.


If I were a Japanese citizen, I could easily see myself in the opposition camp here. I would make a stand by remaining seated. The thing is though, that I'm not Japanese. I'm a foreign guest. A cultural ambassador even. So tomorrow, when the anthem plays and the flag is flown, I'll stand. (And keep my job.)