إن أسطورة الدولة القومية، مثلها في ذلك كمثل الأديان، تتطلب إيماناً مطلقاً. ويزعم المفكر الياباني
Japanese scholar Yoshihisa Hagiwara argues that since it is not grounded in fact, the nation-state myth is bound to dissolve, giving way to an understanding that we are merely individuals who are part of a global community. He laments that the Japanese are especially fond of the idea of “Japaneseness,” making it possible that Japan may become the “last hero” of a dying ethos.