No to Abe

This is pretty shocking. Is it being widely reported?

Yeah, Adolf was a real bad guy. Comparing Abe to him isn't justifiable. I just went to my local supermarket & the JCP were out there with their vans and loudspeakers. I'm glad people are voicing their opinions. Even if some don't agree.

I don't know... I'm uncomfotable when Japanese people equate Abe to Hitler. One wonders why they didn't depict him with a shaved head and glasses and call him Shinzo Tojo? Ignorance of their own past? Too soon?

It would be like if a new facist dictator appeared in Germany today and people started comparing him to Pol Pot... there are much better homegrown comparisons to make.

Well, this will make Aso and other right-wingers like him even more, since they're on record as saying they respect certain Nazi systems and what not.

Glad these people came out to speak, regardless of whether people find it a valid comparison or not. In some ways it is, and in other ways not. He is most certainly going down as a dictator, though.

Hitler may be a little extreme, but love that 10,000 people showed up, and the second picture showing a sea of 'Abe Administration NO!' posters.

My face takes on the same expression when I think of Abe.

(the same expression as the old guy, not Adolf Hitler)

I don't know about comparing Abe to Adolf. Personally, I don't think Abe has the charisma. He does have the history, however.

Abe idolises his grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi, who was a Class-A war criminal, serving in a key position in the cabinet of Hideki Tojo. Imprisoned at the end of World War II, he managed to worm his way out of a conviction and was released in 1948.

Kishi returned to politics and became prime minister of Japan in 1957. Like his grandson, he was also addicted to the Yasukuni Shrine. Kishi is regarded as a ghost of Japan's past militarism and prewar political system. Abe's childhood was spent at Kishi's side.

"Since my childhood, in my eyes, my grandfather was a sincere statesman who only thought about the future of this country," Abe wrote in his book titled Toward a Beautiful Country. Kishi is Abe's primary role model as a politician. Abe proudly declared: "I am the son of Shintaro Abe but have inherited my DNA from Nobusuke Kishi."

Abe tried to defend Class-A war criminals such as his grandfather by claiming they are not criminals under the laws of Japan. HIs only defence is stout denial. Unfortunately there are many people who know the reality of the situation.

People are beginning to get fed up with his attempts to whitewash history and turn back the clock.

What we need at the helm is not someone stuck in past "glories," who is trying to relive the days of Japan's military "greatness" but someone who can listen as well as speak, who communicates with the neighbours and works toward peace.

Japan had been going in this direction since WWII with a pacifist constitution.

There is no need to change direction.

This is definitely NOT some grass roots protest. Those signs cost some cash to make. I suspect political opposition is behind, not any kind of rational, self generated choice by Joe Sato on the street.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe as former German dictator Adolf Hitler .....Abe administration’s policies?

These protesters better quiet down before the fuhrer has them all marched into death camps!

This is pretty disgusting and unjustifiable to be honest.

Hitler wanted to wipe out the Slavic people and decimated Poland.

Hitler wanted to annihilate the Jews and killed millions in unspeakable ways while stealing their priceless pieces of art and all of their belongings to be sold or to be destroyed.

Hitler ordered Leningrad to be burnt to the ground, ordering the murder of men, women, and children, to end their race.

Hitler was a war monger, a murdering racist fascist pig to say the least who never disguised his plan of wanting to conquer Europe. When Abe writes his own Mein Kampf and says one of his goals is to conquer land for Japan, then maybe, maybe it's fair to make the comparison.

Until then, use facts to demonstrate against him, not sensationalism.

Moderate people should be disgusted. And the foreign media should point out how ridiculous it is to compare the two. The sad state of affairs is that the average Japanese just doesn't know enough to have the common sense to ascertain it's ridiculous.

They think war monger, they think Hitler. However Hitler was far more than a mere war monger. As others have said, they should compare him to wartime Japanese politicians such as Tojo. Far more comparable but still packing a political punch.

Actually, on second thought it doesn't pack much of a punch as most people don't know enough about Tojo and his role in the war either.

Oh dear. Guess we can only roll our eyes and pray Japan comes to terms with reality one day.

The displeasure in comparing Abe to Hitler comes from the early traits of Hitlers own steady rise to supreme leader, such is the case with Mr. Abe. He is ever so slowly moving all the military, political clout and so forth around him so that it will be easy to declare himself Emperor of Japan with the full military force at his command bring back Imperialism long sought for the past 60years. So yes these people have hit the nail on the head by comparing an early dictator who was truly evil in the end.

Hahahahaaaaaaaaaa hahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa Adolf Hitler reincarnated. Japanese people cracks me up sometimes.

Me too yo!

Outrageous, Abe is not nearly half as charismatic or rhetorically adept as Hitler

You won't see this on NHK. Nor will you see reports on NHK chief Momii using NHK funds to go to play golf.

It is not fair to compare PM Abe with Adolf Hitler . PM Abe is a democratic leader with modern vision and outlook and will certainly take Japan out of present difficulties provided he is given freedom to implement his economic policies under Abenomics in coming years to make Japan a strong and progressive nation which will certainly be a big source of strength to all small neighbouring countries and maintenance of peace in the region.

Prime Minister Abe is partially similar to President Hindenburg who allowed Hitler's rise and the politicians and intellectuals of the irresponsible Weimar Republic.

This is completely unjustifiable, and merely shows how out of touch and ignorant these protesters are.

Its fine to disagree with his policies, but they are pretty moderate in comparison with genocide and (actual) militarism.

These people should get some perspective, and quick.

Saying no to Prime Minister Abe is one thing, but given the highly-fractured opposition to Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) nowadays, trying to get someone that can beat Abe in a general election is going to be a bit hard.

Alas, that picture equating Abe with Adolf Hitler won't be winning many fans even among Abe's opposition, either.

Who are the organizers? Which particular policy or polices are reminiscent of Nazi Germany and Adolf Hitler? It all frankly bizarre, The LDP may be many things but the Fourth Reich is cross between the twilight zone and outer limits. Are we going to wake up Monday morning to find Japan transformed into a fascist totalitarian state? Is Sake and Miso Ramen going to replaced by Schnapps and bratwurst, will I have to join the Hitler youth and sing Edelweiss.

I'm sure the intent of the placards is to create impact - and impact it is doing. It's being discussed here and I'm sure in many other places as well. Shock anti-tactics can work well in many cases - like graphic horror pix on cigarette packs.

I don't think any(or hardly any) of the protesters here actually believe Abe's antics are comparable to Hitler's crimes. Hitler, and esp his little toothbrush mo, have become mocking symbols of anything seen to be rightwing, dictatorial or overtly nationalistic. Saw a poster of Sarah Palin with Nazi cap & Adolf mo on tv news a while back. Ha, Ha!

And as others have said, it's good to see ordinary folks here not afraid to publicly voice their opposition to a politician or ideology. The more the merrier I say. Start leveling the playing field by drowning out some of the vitriol being espoused by the "Ranting Rightists" and confront the Orwellian "Doublethink" conjurors.

Challenge - don't cower.

I've seen this group protesting a lot over the last years or so. I don't think its right to compare Abe with Hitler, especially with those photoshopped images. Yeah, I agree there are many things wrong with Abe and his right-wing cronies, but he is a far cry from being Hitler.

I remember the other week, a bill was passed about hate speech. It seems they have managed to quell international hate speech, but domestically it is still happening.

sing Edelweiss......

Huh??

Abe is best compared to Reagan in terms of his neo-liberal drip-drop ruse and debt inflation through military spending.

It is not fair to compare PM Abe with Adolf Hitler . PM Abe is a democratic leader with modern vision and outlook and will certainly take Japan out of present difficulties provided he is given freedom to implement his economic policies under Abenomics in coming years to make Japan a strong and progressive nation which will certainly be a big source of strength to all small neighbouring countries and maintenance of peace in the region.

B.I.Sharma -- really. If you knew history, you would know that Hitler was also "democratically" elected, just like Abe. And, just like Abe, it was based on a "modern version and outlook" which was intended to take Germany out of its "difficulties". And, once he had his overwhelming majority in the German Reichstag he had the "freedom to implement" his policies. But don't believe me, read what Wikipidea says:

Through the late 1920s and early 1930s, the Nazis gathered enough electoral support to become the largest political party in the Reichstag, and Hitler's blend of political acuity, deceptiveness and cunning converted the party's non-majority but plurality status into effective governing power in the ailing Weimar Republic of 1933.

Sorry, but I see many anologies to Hitler and what Abe and the LDP are doing. Japan is "ailing" just like Germany was, and Abe is using that to rally support around his call for "a beautiful Japan", which just happens to include re-writing history, a state secrets law, and a re-militarization.

On multiple dimensions, this is a stupid comparison. First of all, Hitler was a veteran who actually experienced combat. He was a nobody who came from a family of nothing. He was not a native of Germany, and of course his whole life after November 1918 was dedicated to getting revenge on the people (mainly Jews, communists, other left-wing radicals) whom he viewed as traitors and quitters for negotiating Germany's surrender at the end of World War I.

Abe is a mollycoddled child of privilege who wouldn't know how to fire a toy gun, let alone an assault rifle. The most alarming thing about Abe, I would say, is his desire to erase the impact of those brief two and one-half years in the middle of the 1990s when the LDP fell from power and a socialist PM (Murayama) led Japan for the first time since 1948. Abrogating the Kono Statement and the Murayama Statement will certainly look bad if Abe chooses to go down that route, but that doesn't begin to approach what Hitler wished to accomplish in the name of getting revenge.

I don't believe anyone who use Hitler for blaming someone. Such people don't have sincerity for discussing.

@jerseyboy

If you knew history, you would know that Hitler was also "democratically" elected, just like Abe. And, just like Abe, it was based on a "modern version and outlook" which was intended to take Germany out of its "difficulties". And, once he had his overwhelming majority in the German Reichstag he had the "freedom to implement" his policies.

It is tiresome to read such attempts at moral equivalency between the single historical figure that is considered the model of evil to a modern leader that someone opposes due to political or ideological differences. It is a common tactic of the Left to not just oppose political opponents but to seek to make their views illegitimate by associating these views with someone or something that is universally hated. Comparing Abe to Hitler is take extremism to an extreme and does more damage to their cause than to help it.

@Wolfpack

It is a common tactic of the Left to not just oppose political opponents but to seek to make their views illegitimate by associating these views with someone or something that is universally hated.

Deliciously ironic post, seeing as how Hitler is still very much admired by some of those on the... (wait for it...) Right.

@BertieWooster Good comment. You might have also touched on his other grandfather, old Kan Abe, whose claim to fame was riling Hideki Tojo by running as an anti-militarism candidate in the 1942 election. They upset the militarists so much, that Tojo attempted to have them banned through a shonky registration system. Despite that, however, Abe's grandfather and one Takeo Miki still won seats.

It is a common tactic of the Left to not just oppose political opponents but to seek to make their views illegitimate by associating these views with someone or something that is universally hated.

Wolfpack -- lucabrasi beat me to it, but let me also state -- pure rubbish. First off, what makes you conclude the people protesting against Abe are "the Left"? How do you know they are not people who have voted on many occassions for the LDP, but are simply alarmed at the direction Abe is taking the party/country? Second, you know full well that "the Right" also seeks to make their political opponenents views illegitimate by associating these views with someone or something that history has not looked well on -- how about all those comparisons by the talking heads to Obama and Chamberlin and his policy of appeasement? (Ted Cruz among them.) Which, by definition, means the right thinks Putin and Iran are acting like Hitler.

Wolfpack: " It is a common tactic of the Left..."

You ALMOST had a decent post, until then. Not surprised, really.

tinawatanabe: "This does not look like a Japanese kind of rally"

So, tina, since "Japanese kind of rallies" look different, what do they look like? The one's where about 10 right-wingers drag their children to go and support people like Abe?

"Koreans and Chinese hand in hand?"

And you wonder why you have no credibility, and why Japanese wingers like yourself are universally loathed and are actually the cause of problems between you and your neighbours.

Strangerland: "Racist Tina strikes again."

Precisely. She'll just call that "J-bashing" though.

As far as can understand those guys are protesting for peace; however, their protest doesnt make sense at all once Japan under Abe administration is not going to start a war. Before someone says something, I would challenge you(anti-Abe) to provide proofs that he want war. One thing is a leader with evil wishes another thing is a leader wishing a strong army to protect his nation agasint invasion of other countries.

Japan doesnt want war at all; however, the country cannot let her army weak too. Another thing as many of you know countries like China, NK and Russia are threat to Japan and any moment one of them can provoque a war. If Japan doesnt have a strong army how she can defend herself??? Think about it guys and use your brain.

This is the first news site that have reported on this rally. 10,000, if true, is not a small number. Good for JapanToday for reporting on this. I don't even see this on the BBC so far, which is (or was) my go-to news.

Mitsuo - there is a major failure in your logic. Japan already has a strong military, that is already allowed to defend Japan. There is no need for Abe to change its status.

No strangerland, strong army Japan has for sure, however, she cannot think it is enough. Abe san is not changing the status and you cannot prove such thing unless giving your own opnion.

Mitsuo: "Before someone says something, I would challenge you(anti-Abe) to provide proofs that he want war."

Try looking over other threads where Japan is going to, under Abe, turn R&D companies into weapons manufacturers, and that whole thing about Abe wanting to revise the Constitution, despite the majority of Japanese not wanting it.

"One thing is a leader with evil wishes another thing is a leader wishing a strong army to protect his nation agasint invasion of other countries."

As Strangerland pointed out, Japan already has a strong army to defend itself. Why do they need the Constitution changed so that Japan can invade other nations if you are talking about defense? That is what the change in Constitution will allow, and so if Abe wants it, he can do so. HE is the one provoking others at the moment, and hence the tension while awaiting his 'new apology' coming out soon just after starting up all these weapons companies and push to changing the constitution, etc.

There people seem to be appealing to the international community rather than the Japanese voters. Japanese people can tell the difference bet Abe san and Hitler.

I also think this is really inappropriate. Why can't one disagree with a politician without going to these extreme lengths. This is simply rude. Has the art of debate left us? Can any one come up with the point of disagreement? This is sad. Maybe creating the debating team will go a long ways to help us.

tinawatanabe: "There people seem to be appealing to the international community rather than the Japanese voters. Japanese people can tell the difference bet Abe san and Hitler."

Here you go again, claiming to speak on behalf of all Japanese people despite contradicting yourself in the past and saying "I don't speak for Japanese people". I have no doubt many know the differences, and many the similarities -- including the 10,000 JAPANESE protesting here. And they are not trying to appeal to the international community -- what proof do you have? It is merely the international community that picks it up because your Dear Leader won't let it air on Japanese news (since he's busy trying to be like China and North Korea). Why would these Japanese nationals, protest in front of the Diet and not directly to international media if they were trying to appeal to said media?

N. Korea calls Japanese PM Abe ‘Asian Hitler’......February 2014 ....seems he found a use for the crayons he received from Pyongyang on his birthday...

http://www.therakyatpost.com/world/2014/02/04/n-korea-calls-japanese-pm-abe-asian-hitler/

Masswipe

"Hitler was not a native of Germany"

Hittler was born in Austria, a Germanic state, constituent part of the Germanic Confederation.

Austria disputed leadership of the future unitary German state with Prussia; Prussia won the contest and the Habsburghs opted not to join greater Germany, much to Britain and France's contentment.

And Hitler's father Alois was from Germany.

Hitler was a German and died like one.

smithinjapan I will be in the front of the queue to condemn bigotry in all its forms. Organizing large demonstrations requires detailed preparation a practical and comprehensive political framework for implementation and financing. This rally was well organized. In all honesty which mainstream political opposition party in Japan would liken Abe San to Hitler?

itsonlyrocknroll: "smithinjapan I will be in the front of the queue to condemn bigotry in all its forms."

Obviously you don't if you think 10,000 people protesting in Tokyo were organized and funded by China and Korea; you clearly buy into it hook, line, and sinker. Anything to avoid believing the fact that most Japanese don't believe in or like what Abe is doing with regards to the Constitution and past apologies. And proof that you do not indeed condemn bigotry in all forms is that you side with proven racists like tinawatanabe, who now not only claims this is the work of China and South Korea, but also Korean Americans to boot. Look at tina's history -- she blames every single thing, completely unrelated, on China and South Korea, or on the US if it suits the mood. Then she says all Japanese are one way, then on the same thread that she does not speak for all Japanese.

You guys truly have no shame. And you wonder how anyone could draw any such comparisons.

smithinjapan Let's just set the race element to one side and concentrate on the politics.

This demonstration had a message for a much wider audience than Japan media. If my families political view are mainstream then I certainly agree any changes to the constitution, Kono 93, Murayama 95 statements, or revisionism would be met with hostile reprehension.

I am neither qualified or conceited enough to judge Tina or anyone else on this forum, I debate the subject not the person. I respect all and every opinion and treat accordingly.

To organize 10,000 demonstrators takes forward planning, public order and safety requirements, transportation. The financing alone would be beyond most opposition groups or parties.

The timing so close to Abe San Washington visit to meet President Barack Obama at the White House next month, highlighting his trip with an address to both houses of Congress, an honor never before afforded to a Japanese prime minister has been bitterly opposed by Korean American Civic Empowerment a powerful lobby group that has made it quite clear they would prefer Abe San remained in Tokyo.

Until now nobody gave a single proof that Abe is organizing or starting a war, except opinions and opinions.

I think you guys should stop making statement without evidences and think more about Japan and how to make the country better.

Of course Japan has a strong army, but it doenst mean she should not make the army stronger. Japan is located in a place sorrounded by Commies and anti-japanese nations( China, SK and NK). Attack by SK is impossible, NK has some potencial, but I dont believe they will make war against Japan since they have they have relatives in Japan. Now China and Russia are the major threat.

Everyone knows China is not respecting territories belonged to Phillipines, Vietnam and Japan and they already threatened them. Plus Taiwan is being threatened by China for years. The most pathetic thing is how PRC is managing to convince her people to hate Japan by telling untrue things. Just reminding you guys how much PRC has spending to build their army. After knowing this, you guys will keep insisting that Japan is starting a war???

This kind of over-the-top rhetoric doesn't do anyone any good.

It is not fair to compare PM Abe with Adolf Hitler . PM Abe is a democratic leader with modern vision and outlook and will certainly take Japan out of present difficulties provided he is given freedom to implement his economic policies under Abenomics in coming years to make Japan a strong and progressive nation which will certainly be a big source of strength to all small neighbouring countries and maintenance of peace in the region.

You consider Abe's policies of having "modern vision"? Taking back Japan's war comments, using economic ideas from from the 70's, moving away from "green energy", wanting to create a military?

If that is your idea of "modern vision" I worry about the future that is for sure. Oh and make Japan stronger? How about rewriting that to say upper-classes, because the middle and lower class are getting stuck with the bill.

Also Angela Merkel is often compared to Hitler, specially during the protests in Greece.

http://rt.com/files/news/greece-protests-germany-merkel-946/protester-plackard-german-chancellor.jpg

Germany is aware about this, to the extent that Der Spiegel made this cover:

http://greece.greekreporter.com/2015/03/21/controversial-der-spiegel-cover-depicts-merkel-and-nazis-in-acropolis/

http://uk.businessinsider.com/der-spiegel-cover-with-merkel-and-nazis-2015-3?r=US

http://www.tgcom24.mediaset.it/mondo/copertina-shock-dello-spiegel-merkel-tra-i-nazisti-l-ue-ci-vede-cosi-_2101952-201502a.shtml

The tension is high, since Merkel and Tsipras will meet this Monday.

In Japan this kind of provocation could be seen like extreme, and I see it's weird for many JT posters, but in Europe it's not so "weird".

Seeing that right wing sees WWII and Imperial Japan with nostalgia as a glorious period in Japanese history, see Yasukuni and appendaged museum as proof, this is not that far off. Of the Axis countries, Japan had conquered most territory, even beating out Germany. Abe and the right wing sees that, not with remorse or as a dark period of Japanese history. This is a key motivator for the right wing. There is a insidious underbelly and frankly those who are protesting should all be given some sort of reward.

@lucabrasi

Deliciously ironic post, seeing as how Hitler is still very much admired by some of those on the... (wait for it...) Right.

Are you serious? What conservative person of the Right could possibly admire a national socialist who believed in the Progressive idea of eugenics as a legitimate way to create a better society? I do not believe there is anyone on the Right or Left that admires Hitler. During the Bush years the Left often compared him to Hitler. But these were the fringe loony tune Left that were doing that.

@jersey

First off, what makes you conclude the people protesting against Abe are "the Left"?

Because they are protesting Abe's policies - which are generally conservative. What makes you think an LDP supporter would not seek to demonize Abe as Hitler-like?

how about all those comparisons by the talking heads to Obama and Chamberlin and his policy of appeasement?

Chamberlain was a failed leader who trusted Hitler. As dumb as that was it doesn't make him evil. He was just a naive dope that believed he was able to tame the Nazi beast. And yes, Obama is just like Chamberlain in that he is going to put his trust in the terrorists state of Iran to keep it's promises in exchange for lifting international sanctions. However, over the past decade Iran has time and again failed to live up to it's international obligations. Even the UN has admitted to that. And when Iran is caught cheating again the international community will not be able to rally to re-impose sanctions.

As Strangerland pointed out, Japan already has a strong army to defend itself. Why do they need the Constitution changed so that Japan can invade other nations if you are talking about defense?

Sometimes it is necessary to take preemptive action in order to defend yourself. Also, Japan's constitution currently prevents Japan from doing much to cooperate with their allies. There is a strain of isolationism in Japan that goes back centuries. But that kind of thinking is untenable in today's world. Especially for a country like Japan that has many rivals in it's own region of the world (primarily China of course).

It looks politically orchestrated. Just look at the placards!

First off, what makes you conclude the people protesting against Abe are "the Left"?

Because they are protesting Abe's policies - which are generally conservative.

Japan is a 1-party political system, which means opponents can be of any political leaning.

Can't believe that because a protest is well organized, well attended and the protesters have - Aghast! Printed Posters - then some people believe it must be some kind of political conspiracy and even perhaps funded by evil foreign empires.

Anecdotal I know, but I have elderly friends who have nothing but contempt for Abe and his manner. I assure you they are certainly no closer to the "left" than center.

And also, those who drag out this tired old dog of argument - "If you'ra agin Abe(or any conservative), you'ra lefty, commie, pinko,tree hugging, maoist" - need to push their re-set buttons.

In a modern society of many multiples, it is assumed by those learned enough, that one can hold a myriad of views on a myriad of subjects without needing to be pigeon-holed by some antiquated mindset.

Whether or not one approves of the Abe position on the point of revising the constitution of Japan, the comparison is so ridiculous and so outrageous that it is not easy to figure out why it is made to start with. Japanese Abe opponents with non-vanishing IQ should know that they will never convince anybody or gain any vote with this clownish kind of bashing. On the contrary, since they would appear to side with the NK regime which fully deserves the comparison with Nazi Germany, and for that reason, uses it against Abe (as it would with any Japanese leader), they would be bound to lose many supporters. So, clever Abe opponents being excluded, these people can only be of the vanishing IQ species and/or come from some other horizon. The point is that, as remarked by someone else, 10000 people demands organization and funding, which excludes the possibility of a vanishing IQ only demonstration. But these kind of people can very well be (and are routinely) used by clever, well organized and well funded organizers in many parts of the world. Who these people might be in the present case transpires from a remark made above. This, of course, has strictly nothing to do with racism and does not claim to be 'the' answer.

To jerseyboy

-- really. If you knew history, you would know that Hitler was also "democratically" elected, just like Abe. And, just like Abe, it was based on a "modern version and outlook" which was intended to take Germany out of its "difficulties". And, once he had his overwhelming majority in the German Reichstag he had the "freedom to implement" his policies.

If you knew history, you would know that in the very few months following his nomination as chancellor by Hindenburg, Hitler confiscated the power for himself, making his nazi party the only legal one, started prosecuting Jews and communists among others and preparing the re-militarization of Germany. All that with a non-majority in the Reichstag as remarked in your quotation , contrary to Abe who has a large majority from the beginning and whatever the wikipedian 'plurality status' of the nazi party means. Japan should already be at war if your comparison made any sense.

@Strangerland

Japan is a 1-party political system, which means opponents can be of any political leaning.

This is not a correct statement. Is it supposed to be sarcasm?

For all intents and purposes it's true. Sure there are other parties, but when the same party gets elected in with almost zero exception for 60 years, the other parties are simply there for appearances sake.

Language insinuating any kind of political conspiracy by evil foreign empires is unintentional. Politically motivated professionally organized publicity stunts are part and parcel of the modern democratic process to attract the public's and media attention. My debate is focus on governments not the peoples of neighboring countries, who I respect unequivocally.

Much as I applaud the anti-Abe sentiment, I cannot help but notice that there are only two placards that people in the demonstration are holding. One is a laminated A3 photoshop of Abe with Nazi cap and Hitler moustache and the other is a larger printed item.

Something a bit odd here.

It wouldn't be a set up to try to show that anti-Abe people are nutjobs, would it?

It wouldn't be a set up to try to show that anti-Abe people are nutjobs, would it?

Don't need much for the rest of placards don't make sense either.

@Bertie, nigelboy" They equate Abe to Hitler and even to Tojo. I think people need to learn Sangoku Domei and find who brought idea to Japan before Tojo time. He later died before Tokyo trial but he was the last one enshrined in Yasukuni/ Check his family relation to Abe. I think people should learn Hitler Era japanese History to agitate moreplacard carrying demonstrators than just 2. People often tell Japan to study history while they don't even know this one.If they want to criticize, they should learn about Abe instead of talkin only Kishi wgi was tii frubedky ti Uje tgat ge was akmost assassinate.