"City of Osaka passes 'Kimigayo' ordinance"

From The Daily Yomiuri Online, 3/1/12:

The Osaka City Assembly has passed an ordinance to oblige teachers to stand up and sing the "Kimigayo" national anthem at school ceremonies.

A bill for the ordinance was submitted by Mayor Toru Hashimoto to the assembly on Tuesday, the opening day of its session. In addition to Osaka Ishin no Kai, which has a majority in the assembly and is led by Hashimoto, New Komeito and the Liberal Democratic Party supported the bill after seeking revisions to part of it.

The ordinance obliges all teachers and workers in the city's public schools to stand up and sing "Kimigayo" at school ceremonies. It also obliges the city's public facilities to fly the Hinomaru national flag at all times.

The Osaka Prefectural Assembly passed a similar ordinance last June, when Hashimoto was governor. At that time, there was no other such ordinance in the nation.

Link: http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/dy/national/T120229005537.htm

Last VAOJ coverage of this issue: http://visualanthropologyofjapan.blogspot.com/2012/02/8-osaka-teachers-to-be-punished-for.html