Tatenokai

Tatenokai
楯の會
Also known asShield Society
LeaderYukio Mishima
Dates of operation1968–1970
Country Japan
Allegiance Emperor of Japan
IdeologyJapanese nationalism
Ultranationalism[1]
Traditionalism
Anti-communism
Monarchism
Political positionFar-right
Major actions"Mishima Incident" (25 November 1970)
StatusDissolved
Size100
Means of revenuePrivately funded

The Tatenokai (楯の会, 楯の會) or Shield Society was a private militia in Japan dedicated to traditional Japanese values and veneration of the Emperor.[2][3] It was founded and led by author Yukio Mishima.[3] The private militia was officially founded in 1968 for the purpose of preventing indirect aggression by proponents of foreign ideology seeking to destroy Japanese traditional culture, and protecting the dignity of the Emperor as a symbol of Japan's national identity.[4][2][3][5][6][7]

The name of Tatenokai comes from two classical waka, one from the 7th century Asuka period and the other from the 19th century Edo period, which express the determination to become a shield to protect the Emperor.[3][8]

  1. ^ Bornoff, Nicholas, ed. (1991). Pink Samurai: The Pursuit and Politics of Sex in Japan. p. 432.
  2. ^ a b Mishima, Yukio (1969). 自衛隊二分論 [Bisection of JSDF]. 20 Seiki (in Japanese). collected in complete35 2003, pp. 434–446
  3. ^ a b c d O-Encyclo 1976, pp. 246–247
  4. ^ Mishima, Yukio (1968). 「楯の会」のこと [About the "Tatenokai"]. Pamphlet celebrating the first anniversary of the founding of the "Tatenokai" (in Japanese). collected in complete35 2003, pp. 720–727
  5. ^ Suzuki 2005, pp. 72–80
  6. ^ Ando 1998, pp. 259–261
  7. ^ Encyclo 2000, pp. 210–211, 519–520, 523–524
  8. ^ Suzuki 2005, p. 38