Chapter III, Article 19 of the Japanese Constitution...

...is the section that guarantees that "Freedom of thought and conscience shall not be violated."  However, the Tokyo District Court dismissed a lawsuit brought by 172 teachers who were "disciplined" for their failure to join in singing the national anthem.  Apparently the teachers were registering more than an aesthetic protest, though they might have been forgiven for doing so, since the lyrics go something like "May the reign of the Emperor continue for a thousand, nay, eight thousand generations and for the eternity that it takes for small pebbles to grow into a great rock and become covered with moss.. " New rules have been issued that govern how the flag is displayed and how the national anthem is sung.  These rules mandate punishment for failing to sing it correctly.  See the story in The New York Times   Imagine if we in the United States were punished for our failure to sing The Star-Spangled Banner, the song nobody can sing, properly.