My opinion will trigger a furious debate among people surrounding me.
We, however, don’t have so much time to discuss thoroughly critical
problems of the day.
So I eagerly wrote down as to them.
This essay is composed of three parts：➊ my original opinion of
Japanese politics,➋ an opposite opinion from a foreign people living
in Japan (p.3～)and ➌ my answer to the above opinion.(p.9～)
(1) My original opinion
➊Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s fifth visit to the Yasukuni Shrine
Well, Japanese Prime Minister, Mr.Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine this
year too.
This time he paid his respect in a very informal and light style utterly
different from before. We can easily reason his deep consideration of the
harsh criticism from the South Korea and China.
None the less, both countries’ governments can’t understand even such a
meaningful and significant change.
But he performed one of his responsibilities as the Prime Minister who must,
first, give a lot of thanks to all of the people dedicated their lives to
Japan and the Japanese people of the day. All governments and top leaders
including the above countries have put the most priority on their domestic
people’s interests.
Both countries especially insist that the shrine enshrines not only common
soldiers of about 2.5million in number but also the Class-A war criminals.
However, we don’t ignore or forget that all of criminals have cleared off
their accusation by receiving severe punishment such as death penalty. It
should be the same as even class-A criminals.
Moreover, the Prime Minister told us many times he has sincerely prayed for
ever world peace and certified a solid resolution not to wage any war forever
in front of all of the souls of the dead.
❷a lot of apologies and enough compensation
Japanese government has officially apologized as many as sixteen or seventeen
times including Mr. Koizumi’s announcement of this year concerning the
aggressive invasion and affliction to both countries and people during the
past war times.
Though China says that Japan should show such a critical self-questioning
through concrete behavior, Japan has long dedicated to both countries through
countless economic aids. This aid has apparently been a useful engine to promote
both countries’ miraculous economic growth of the day. The aid through ODA
has been especially enormous for both countries.
➌China is rising as a military might on the basis of its economic development.
China is a very odd and secretive country. For example, taking advantage of the
dollar–pegged currency policy which has unilaterally and stubbornly been kept,
it has unfairly piled up many dollars through the big trade with the USA.
Moreover, the much lower level of average workers’ wages compared with that of
developed countries is the main reason why Chinese goods are so competitive in
the American and European markets. It means much profit from world trade isn’t
delivered to commoners or equally shared among people especially a number of
deep local people despite being a communist.
Lately this wealth has been used to develop its military power including the bold
space exploration to menace surrounding countries such as Taiwan, Japan and even
the USA. They are threatened to be burned away its major cities by atomic bombings.
➍China is extremely unfair in the international world.
China has never shared the management cost of the UN proportionately required as
a permanent member at the UNSC. It’s so stingy that it has shared no more than
2.1%. Amazingly, Japan generously has shared 19.5%, while even Russia is 1.1%,
England is 6.1%, France is 6.0%, England is 6.1%, and Germany is 8.7%.
It’s very strange and unjustifiable that such an extremely selfish and unfair
attitude of China in the international world has never been criticized. China has
been given a free ride for more than half a century on the most important world
organization without performing proper responsibility.
We shouldn’t forget that Japan has long dedicated the UN through paying near
twenty percent of the UN’s management cost while Japan has never been a permanent
member in the UNSC. Its payment greatly exceeds that of the total amount of England,
France, Russia and China.
That unfair and big unbalance is indeed very ridiculous!
➎Japanese should be more active to enhance our position in the international world.
We Japanese should cry much more loudly about such unfairness and imbalance in the
international world.
We shouldn’t hesitate to insist our country’s rights and interests.
We Japanese will learn English much more and strongly appeal our right claims in more
fluent and persuasive English style to the outside.
By the way, these days we can at last witness a small but enthusiastic movement to
review and revise our Constitution.
There we must make our country and ourselves much more ❶ modernize (=rationalize and
privatize), ➋ democratize and ➌ vitalize（＝deregulate, decentralize and equalize
between women and men ）in order to serve our people’s power and national resources
to world peace and prosperity.
That’s all.
Thank you so much for your generous attitude to my stubborn opinion.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Kanzaburo Okamura
We, however, don’t have so much time to discuss thoroughly critical
problems of the day.
So I eagerly wrote down as to them.
This essay is composed of three parts：➊ my original opinion of
Japanese politics,➋ an opposite opinion from a foreign people living
in Japan (p.3～)and ➌ my answer to the above opinion.(p.9～)
(1) My original opinion
➊Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s fifth visit to the Yasukuni Shrine
Well, Japanese Prime Minister, Mr.Koizumi, visited Yasukuni Shrine this
year too.
This time he paid his respect in a very informal and light style utterly
different from before. We can easily reason his deep consideration of the
harsh criticism from the South Korea and China.
None the less, both countries’ governments can’t understand even such a
meaningful and significant change.
But he performed one of his responsibilities as the Prime Minister who must,
first, give a lot of thanks to all of the people dedicated their lives to
Japan and the Japanese people of the day. All governments and top leaders
including the above countries have put the most priority on their domestic
people’s interests.
Both countries especially insist that the shrine enshrines not only common
soldiers of about 2.5million in number but also the Class-A war criminals.
However, we don’t ignore or forget that all of criminals have cleared off
their accusation by receiving severe punishment such as death penalty. It
should be the same as even class-A criminals.
Moreover, the Prime Minister told us many times he has sincerely prayed for
ever world peace and certified a solid resolution not to wage any war forever
in front of all of the souls of the dead.
❷a lot of apologies and enough compensation
Japanese government has officially apologized as many as sixteen or seventeen
times including Mr. Koizumi’s announcement of this year concerning the
aggressive invasion and affliction to both countries and people during the
past war times.
Though China says that Japan should show such a critical self-questioning
through concrete behavior, Japan has long dedicated to both countries through
countless economic aids. This aid has apparently been a useful engine to promote
both countries’ miraculous economic growth of the day. The aid through ODA
has been especially enormous for both countries.
➌China is rising as a military might on the basis of its economic development.
China is a very odd and secretive country. For example, taking advantage of the
dollar–pegged currency policy which has unilaterally and stubbornly been kept,
it has unfairly piled up many dollars through the big trade with the USA.
Moreover, the much lower level of average workers’ wages compared with that of
developed countries is the main reason why Chinese goods are so competitive in
the American and European markets. It means much profit from world trade isn’t
delivered to commoners or equally shared among people especially a number of
deep local people despite being a communist.
Lately this wealth has been used to develop its military power including the bold
space exploration to menace surrounding countries such as Taiwan, Japan and even
the USA. They are threatened to be burned away its major cities by atomic bombings.
➍China is extremely unfair in the international world.
China has never shared the management cost of the UN proportionately required as
a permanent member at the UNSC. It’s so stingy that it has shared no more than
2.1%. Amazingly, Japan generously has shared 19.5%, while even Russia is 1.1%,
England is 6.1%, France is 6.0%, England is 6.1%, and Germany is 8.7%.
It’s very strange and unjustifiable that such an extremely selfish and unfair
attitude of China in the international world has never been criticized. China has
been given a free ride for more than half a century on the most important world
organization without performing proper responsibility.
We shouldn’t forget that Japan has long dedicated the UN through paying near
twenty percent of the UN’s management cost while Japan has never been a permanent
member in the UNSC. Its payment greatly exceeds that of the total amount of England,
France, Russia and China.
That unfair and big unbalance is indeed very ridiculous!
➎Japanese should be more active to enhance our position in the international world.
We Japanese should cry much more loudly about such unfairness and imbalance in the
international world.
We shouldn’t hesitate to insist our country’s rights and interests.
We Japanese will learn English much more and strongly appeal our right claims in more
fluent and persuasive English style to the outside.
By the way, these days we can at last witness a small but enthusiastic movement to
review and revise our Constitution.
There we must make our country and ourselves much more ❶ modernize (=rationalize and
privatize), ➋ democratize and ➌ vitalize（＝deregulate, decentralize and equalize
between women and men ）in order to serve our people’s power and national resources
to world peace and prosperity.
That’s all.
Thank you so much for your generous attitude to my stubborn opinion.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
Kanzaburo Okamura