The Battle for Soul: How the West Use Psychological Warfare to Influence Public Opinion and Policy in Japan

The bill that sparked the controversy

Back in 2021, a seemingly non-partisan bill was prepared for the formal proposal to “promote understanding” of LGBT people in Japan. Initially, this purposefully vague and ineffective bill was apparently intended to avoid criticism against Japan’s traditional culture by preemptively meeting the standards of the West, prior to the Tokyo Olympics.

However, this plan backfired when LGBT activists and opposition parties criticized the bill for containing no mention of prohibition of discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity. Yes, what a surprise indeed. I mean duh. They demanded that the bill be revised to include more concrete measures to protect LGBT rights, such as legal recognition of same-sex marriage and anti-discrimination laws.

This demand was met with strong resistance from conservative lawmakers within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), who argued that such changes would undermine Japan’s family values and social order. They also claimed that LGBT issues were not a priority for most Japanese people and that there was no need to rush legislation on them. As one would imagine after failing to reach an agreement, the proposal was postponed for the time being. This brings us to the year 2023.

This sorry excuse of a bill has been resurrected from where the sun doesn’t shine. To understand why, you would need to know about massive scandal of misuse of public fund in Japan which shook its capital to the core towards the end of 2022. Long story short, the left was cornered and the right moved to secure the family structure. The left found the opportunity when one of the goverment official told reporters off the record, that he doesn’t want to live next door to the LGBT person, nor would want to even look at such person. The full on attack in the media ensured and the right once again found themself in the defensive position.

The West uses psychological warfare to influence public opinion and policy in Japan on issues related to human rights, democracy and culture. The goal of this psychological warfare is to weaken Japan’s resistance and persuade it to conform to the agenda on LGBTQ ideology. The possible tactics that could be used against Japan in this situation may include:

• Framing LGBTQ ideology as universal human rights that transcend cultural differences and national boundaries.

• Portraying Japan as backward, intolerant and oppressive for not recognizing or protecting LGBTQ “rights”.

• Applying moral pressure and guilt on Japan for violating international norms and standards on human rights.

• Mobilising global public opinion and civil society against Japan through campaigns, petitions and protests.

• Leveraging economic power and influence to coerce or incentivize Japan to adopt pro-LGBTQ policies or laws.

• Providing financial support to LGBTQ activists and organizations in Japan to promote their agenda and challenge the status quo.

We seem to have an answer as to which tactic was chosen. An article shows that the ambassadors of six G7 countries (Canada, France, Germany, Italy, UK and US) and the EU have jointly sent a letter to Prime Minister Fumio KISHIDA urging him to enact legislation to protect LGBT rights.

G7議長国へ各国のいら立ちが形に…LGBTQの差別禁止に動きが鈍い日本と岸田首相　駐日大使の連名書簡：東京新聞 TOKYO Web

They claimed that such legislation would enhance Japan's reputation as a leader of human rights and democracy in Asia and the world. They also reminded him that Japan is expected to be the host of the G7 summit in 2023 and that it has a responsibility to uphold the values and principles of the group.

Traditional religions, philosophy and ideology

But the question is, why all that effort? Deeper analysis is needed for the further discussion. The platonic school of philosophy suggests that an ideal realm of forms or ideas is separate from the material world. This entails a distinction between the corporeal and spiritual aspects of humanity.

The idea of a distinction between the body and the mind/soul has been influential in many religious traditions. For example, the urvan is a Zoroastrian concept of the soul or spirit of an individual that is sent out into the material world to fight the battle of good versus evil. The Urvan is distinct from the body and it separates from the body in the material world at death. The Catechism of the Catholic Church states:

the Church teaches that every spiritual soul is created immediately by God - it is not ‘produced’ by the parents - and also that it is immortal: it does not perish when it separates from the body at death

CCC 366

Similarly in modernity, the LGBTQ ideology, especially the transgender ideology in particular, asserts that gender identity is not determined by biological sex but by one's inner sense of self. This implies that one's gender identity or sexual orientation may not match one's biological sex or physical appearance. Although they diverge on how to attain harmony between the soul and the body, they all acknowledge the distinction between the physical and spiritual aspects of humanity and advocate harmony between those aspects. This indicates that they all address the same theological questions, despite the substantial difference in the response and the rituals that ensue. In essence, they share a fundamental premise that there is something more to human beings than their physical bodies. They affirm that human dignity and worth are not determined solely by external factors such as appearance, but by internal factors such as identity, personality, or spirituality.
However, there is a crucial difference between these traditions in how they present themselves to the world. While most religious traditions openly declare their beliefs and values, the LGBTQ ideology often disguises itself as a secular movement for human rights and social justice. This makes it harder to recognize and challenge its underlying assumptions and implications. Therefore the difference then boils down to the fact that one of them insidiously conceals its religiosity and others don’t.

Analysis on the methodology

The example in Japan reveals how both groups engage in psychological warfare in a religious war over gender identity and sexuality. By proposing a bill that would ban discrimination based on sexual orientation or gender identity, the LGBTQ ideology attempts to impose its arguably religious views and values on Japan and other countries that do not share them. It also uses protests, media, education, and other means to influence public perception and behavior according to its LGBTQ ideology.

Conclusion: The implications and challenges for Japan's future

By opposing the bill, Japan and other countries that follow traditional religions such as Shinto, Christianity, or Islam try to protect their views and values from being eroded by a radical modernist ideology. The LGBTQ ideology, backed by “G6” countries and international organizations, claims to promote human rights and social justice for marginalized groups. However, it also challenges the natural order and divine plan that are affirmed by traditional religions. These religions, which have some influences on Japan's culture and politics, cause traditionalists in Japan to resist the LGBTQ ideology as a form of ideological colonization that threatens their identity and sovereignty. Thus, the conflict between these two groups is not only a matter of policy or law, but also a matter of faith and morality meaning that the implication does not only concern Japan, but applicable to the whole world.