Was Mishima's nationalism merely traditionalism?
My nationalism was rooted in a deep reverence for Japan's historical spirit and its unique aesthetic traditions. I saw a spiritual decay in post-war Japan, a loss of its essential character in the face of Westernization. My nationalism was a desperate attempt to reclaim this lost essence, to reawaken a sense of pride and heroic potential in the Japanese people. It was not simply adherence to the past, but a vital imperative to preserve and manifest its inherent grandeur.
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