changes to its Constitution. Within education, a major battleground where the use of the symbols was fought, the reactions were also mixed. The 1999 curriculum guideline issued by the Ministry of Education after the passage of the law decrees that "on entrance and graduation ceremonies, schools must raise the flag of Japan and instruct students to sing the "Kimigayo" (national anthem), given the significance of the flag and the song." Additionally, the ministry's commentary on the 1999 curriculum guideline for elementary schools notes that "given the advance of internationalization, along with fostering patriotism and awareness of being Japanese, it is important to nurture school children's respectful attitude toward the flag of Japan and Kimigayo as they grow up to be respected Japanese citizens in an internationalized society." In Hiroshima Prefecture, where Sera High School is located, the reaction was mostly negative. As one of the two prefectures directly affected by World War II, education in Hiroshima has leaned left with regards to information regarding the symbols and the Emperor due to the power of native groups, such as the Buraku Liberation League, and teachers' unions. There the passage of the law was seen as an "annoyance," running counter to the prefecture's educational practices and unlikely to be able to resolve its war-related issues. International Beyond Japan, the passage of the law was met with mixed reactions. In Mainland China and South Korea, the 1999 formal adoption of the Hinomaru and Kimigayo, along with debates about the status of the Yasukuni Shrine, U.S.–Japan military cooperation, and the creation of a missile defense, was met with the notion that Japan was moving toward the right of the political spectrum. Both nations had been occupied by the Empire of Japan, and feared that the rightward shift would revive re-militarization in Japan. However, the spokesperson for the Mainland Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the bill was an issue for the Japanese to resolve on their own to move their country toward a peaceful future. In Singapore, older generations still harbored ill feelings toward the symbols. The Philippine government believed that Japan was not going to revert to militarism and that the goal of the law was to formally establish two national symbols, which every state has a right to do. Political ramifications Members of the DPJ were allowed by party leaders to vote based on their own conscience; the party leadership itself