Scope of Japan National Flag Vandalism Still Vague

Tokyo, July 10 (Jiji Press)--The scope of behavior subject to punishment under a bill that would criminalize acts of damaging the Japanese national flag remains vague, and the lack of clarity could have a chilling effect on social activities.

The Cabinet Committee of the House of Councillors, the upper chamber of the Diet, the country's parliament, began substantive deliberations on the bill Thursday, after the legislation cleared the House of Representatives, the lower chamber, late last month.

The ruling bloc of the Liberal Democratic Party and the Japan Innovation Party aims to enact the legislation during the ongoing Diet session, which is slated to end July 17, but opposition parties are ramping up criticisms of the bill.

Submitted by the ruling coalition as well as the opposition Democratic Party for the People and Sanseito, the bill stipulates that those who publicly damage the national flag in a manner deemed likely to cause extreme discomfort or disgust to others will be punished.

One of the sponsors of the bill has explained that whether an act causes extreme discomfort will be determined "from the perspective of ordinary members of the public and in light of social common sense," but the specific standard is not clear.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]