Revisionism, Ultranationalism, Sexism: Relations Between the Far Right and the Establishment Over the ‘Comfort Women’ Issue

The ultranationalist Action Conservative Movement (ACM), a network of new far right groups that emerged around 2007, has taken an interest in the controversy surrounding Japan’s colonial past. Influenced by the historical revisionism promoted by mainstream conservatives, such as Nippon Kaigi and the government under Prime Minister Abe Shinzˉo, they have engaged in street-level activism against former ‘comfort women’ and their support groups. Based on extensive fieldwork and interviews, this article discusses how ACM activists established an independent identity by differentiating themselves from other right-wing movements through aggressive and ‘active’ engagement on the comfort women issue. By looking at the different motivations and strategies taken by ACM activists, I demonstrate that even as the ACM criticizes the conservative establishment for inactivity, it functions to elevate claims by mainstream conservatives. Amplifying the establishment’s criticism of the comfort women’s claims as mere fabrications, the ACM has changed the perceptions of a wide range of right-wing groups and even the general public. By paying close attention to a number of activists’ narratives, I show that despite their critical attitudes and sensational tactics, ACM activists function to complement the revisionist stance of the conservative establishment.