Nippon Kaigi / Japan Conference

Founded in 1997 as a merger of two groups, the Nippon Kaigi/Japan Conference (日本会議) is Japan's largest conservative and patriotic grassroots national movement group. According to the Mainichi Shimbun, as of 2016, the association is composed of approximately 3,8000 members throughout Japan, including around 300 Diet members, former Chief Justices of the Supreme Court, scholars, activists and many other influential people in various fields; they have local branches all over Japan, and Nippon Kaigi Brazil as well. Three of the fundamental roots of this organization were anti-Zengakuren (全日本学生自治会総連合) activism, right-wing socialism, and a new religion, Seichō no Ie, in the 1960s; anti-communism and patriotism underlay these three lanes.  

Nippon Kaigi, its predecessor groups and surrounding groups, have worked on conservative social reforms, such as legislation of imperial era names, constitutional revision, promotion of political support for Yasukuni Shrine, and revision of the Fundamental Law on Education.

In 2001, Nippon Kaigi published a proposal for constitutional revision, revising the one that its predecessor group released in 1993. In the proposal, they argued that the constitution should specify the status of the Emperor as the head of State, clarify Japan’s maintenance of its “national army (国軍)”, and determine that the army would gain some authority under national emergencies.

In July 2022, former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who had been actively involved in the activities of the Japan Conference as a special advisor to its Parliamentary Members’ Council, passed away in a shooting incident. At that time, the Japan Conference published a "Message of Condolence" in his memory.

Subsequently, the organization faced further losses with the passing of Toru Miyoshi, the third president, in March 2023, and Tadae Takubo, the fourth president, in January 2024. The official website of the Japan Conference features memorial articles for both individuals (related articles from May 2023 and January 2024). Additionally, the website has made available an article titled “Kotoshi koso Kenpō kaisei gannen e! (This Year, Let It Be the First Year of Constitutional Revision),” written by President Takubo and published posthumously in the January 2024 issue of the organization’s magazine, Nippon no Ibuki (The Breath of Japan).