Japan to shed it's pacifist ways?

That's the worry of some as reported in this CNN report as the concerns are not just related to the increase in military spending or power but the changes in education relating to patriotism:

"The new education law will allow children to acquire a good understanding of their heritage and become intelligent and dignified Japanese," ruling party lawmaker Hiroo Nakashima said during the upper house debate.

Critics, however, attacked the move as harkening back to Japan's war-era education system, in which children were instructed to support the country's imperialist military and sacrifice themselves for the emperor and nation.

Opponents on Friday voiced fears that the changes could lead to schools grading students on their patriotic fervor -- possibly as a prelude to making Japan an aggressive nation once again.

"The government is putting the future of Japanese children at risk and turning Japan into a country that wages war abroad," said Ikuko Ishii, a Communist Party lawmaker.

The call for more patriotism in the schools coincides with a push by some local governments to crack down on teachers and students who refuse to stand for the national flag or sing an anthem to the emperor at school ceremonies.

This refusal can be seen by this September 2006 article:

TOKYO - A court ruled Thursday that an order forcing Tokyo teachers to stand before Japan’s flag and sing an anthem to the emperor violated the constitution, a rare victory for the country’s waning pacifist movement, plaintiffs’ lawyers said.