>as a way of teaching them their "feeling of Japanese identity" In my opinion, if it must be taught rather than naturally experienced, it can't be worth much.

>as a way of teaching them their "feeling of Japanese identity" In my opinion, if it must be taught rather than naturally experienced, it can't be worth much. This just goes to show how much people are invested in using anything to push their own agenda. That said, it's hardly uncommon to create an identity, say that it exists, then control people with it. Look at any nation in any war for example. For me, it doesn't make any sense to have an idea of "Japanese-ness"; it's based around culture and that can be learned an experienced. If all that's to it is knowledge, there's no reason to push it as something unique. It's not dissimilar to a physicist teaching their fellow physicists the "feeling of physicist identity".