While the title made me wonder if this was a spoof article, I'm surprised that no one here finds the article chilling. Forget the politicians, the intended use is for modifying people's behaviour. From friends' anecdotes (both Japanese friends and those who spent many years in Japan), there is strong pressure to conform in Japanese schools. Imagine this scenario:
Speech jammers are introduced into Japanese schools. From the article: “We have to establish and obey rules for proper turn-taking when speaking." Sounds like a school to me. This type of technology used on kids could have long-term impact on their ability to think during public conversations. And once the teacher realizes they can silence any student at will, do you think they'll stop at the "louder, stronger" voices? Any student with an opinion the teacher doesn't like could get zapped. And the worst part is not that other students won't hear their ideas -- it's that the student herself will have those thoughts disrupted.
Entrepreneurs are who we are because we think outside the box -- we do things we're told can't be done. Most people aren't like that. And imagine if every time you talked about anything "out of the norm" as a child your very thoughts were stopped. Chilling.
I guess if Japanese authorities want that kind of conformity, it might help the US economy...but I'm still not a fan.