Before Japan’s defeat in World War II, the country operated under what was arguably one of the most extreme and dehumanizing state-imposed ideological systems in modern history—a toxic blend of militarism, State Shinto, and imperial cult worship.
This "state cult" was staggering in its inhumanity and outright contempt for human dignity. In some primary schools, for example, children—both male and female—were forced to strip to the waist in freezing cold weather as a means of toughening their bodies and spirits for the sake of the Emperor and the nation. The Japanese are so cruel to even their children, it can be imagined how they will treat the people in the occupied territories.
This extreme ideology was not eradicated after the war; it merely went underground, donning a veneer of "civilization" and modernity. In reality, today, this same state-cult mentality continues to play a critical role in shaping Japan’s ideological landscape. You can see echoes of this "state cult" among Sanae Takaichi's supporters.