“Kishibe no Arubamu” (literally, “riverbank album”) is the title of a highly successful TV drama series from nearly half a century ago about the collapse and revival of a seemingly placid middle-class family.

Written by acclaimed screenwriter Taichi Yamada (1934-2023) and aired in 1977, it was recently adapted for the stage.

Looking to enjoy this timeless classic, I went to see it at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre.

The father of the family, Kensaku, is a “bucho” (general manager) of a trading house. He is practically married to the company, but the business is in trouble. My heart skipped a beat when a young employee suggested that the company should sell weapons overseas.

There was a similar scene in the original TV version, where a junior staffer argues, “Given our company’s present situation, I don’t think we have the luxury of second-guessing (the export of weapons).”

And he goes on, “I don’t understand why Japan is still the only country in the world that’s so allergic to weapons.”

Kensaku responds, “Don’t you think that’s one good thing about Japan?” and chides him mildly, “You don’t know what war is really like.”

In 1976, the year before this drama aired, the then-Cabinet of Prime Minister Takeo Miki (1907-1988) banned arms exports, in principle.

And Foreign Minister Kiichi Miyazawa (1919-2007) cut an era-defining figure when he told the Diet, ”Our country has not sunk so low as to earn money by exporting weapons.”

And now, the Japanese government is set on scrapping its “five types” rule, under which foreign transfers of defense equipment are limited to only five non-lethal categories.

The elimination of the “five types” rule spells an all-out liberalization of the exports of lethal weapons.

Eager to boost the nation’s defense industry, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi told the Diet, “This will also contribute to the growth of the Japanese economy.”

There is no question that the global situation has changed drastically over time.

Still, after years of making an axiom of “facing reality,” isn’t our country now rushing too hastily into abandoning a principle that we have protected and held so dear throughout the post-World War II years?

“Wouldn’t that sort of realism spin out of control eventually?” Kensaku says in the play.

His words keep echoing in my mind.

—The Asahi Shimbun, April 21

Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.

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