Mr. Mitsuru Ueda in Kyoto
Thank you for your detailed and authentic comment and opinion of Sarkozy’s criticism against Japanese culture.
I greatly adore your firm attitude for each culture and politics.
We Japanese should have more confidence in our tradition and culture fostered in near two thousand years.
Everybody including Sarkozy must admit and accept that Orient culture has a truly peculiar identity different from Occidental one.
Now I am eagerly learning French. I have a hope and plan to discuss Japanese culture with Sarkozy in the future.
See you.
I have corrected a little your essay like the below.
Dear. Okamura san
Thank you for sending me an very interesting and precious opinion on your objection to Sarkozy's speech made on January 9 in 2004 during his visiting Hong Kong. That was so quickly reported by the French weekly magazine "Paris Match" that went around world instantly.
I made a swift research on the Internet of whatever he said and how the situation was at that time. As a result, I found he was one of the cabinet members of the Sirac Administration and Sirac was a strong candidate for the presidential election for him.
However, after having read the article in summary I thought it was incredible for him to make such an absurd and ridiculous speech despite the fact that he was also regarded as one of the predominant would-be candidates. I didn't even feel any sense of “esprit " at all which French people used to love.
It should not be done to speak ill of other country’s culture in public as a minister of the cultural super power.
I think candidate Royal, who severely criticized Japanese animations and comics flooded into France with full of sexual and violent scenes, would be rather quite honest and decent than Sarkozy.
On the other hand he also gave a comment that he agreed with the attendance of Japan to the Permanent member of the Security Council.
Therefore his speech in Hong Kong might have been a demonstration or a bitter irony toward the president Sirac who was an eager pro-Japanese French acquiring a large stock of Japanese culture.
Sarkozy himself must have known the word "japonisme" which had influenced many famous French artists in late 19 century. His speech was no less the one than a heavy sarcasm derived from the political situations at that time.
Maybe he was attempting to get people’s supports.
Even in Japan, many politicians dare to refer to offensive matters to the foreign countries.
Among them, Shintaro Ishihara,the Governor of Metro Tokyo, often have made such "might be" vicious speeches ; He once called China as " Sina", Korean and Taiwanese as "Sangoku-jin" or "Third Nationals" which must be considered obviously as scornful words among Japanese. These utterances might have some political attempts for them to intend to. I think it happens in any countries.
Anyway to criticize different culture is not a appropriate manner or attitude of intellectuals. It is quite natural that different culture has its own different aspect. That is the very definition of culture.
So learning more about Japanese culture we should try to be able to explain the essences of it by comparison with those of the others to foreigners who will have visit with full of curiosities unlike " Sarkozy" !
Finally, I am looking forward to seeing you anywhere at both tourist spots and Japanese pubs with foreign friends.
Ａｌｌｉｇａｔｏｒ !
Thank you for your detailed and authentic comment and opinion of Sarkozy’s criticism against Japanese culture.
I greatly adore your firm attitude for each culture and politics.
We Japanese should have more confidence in our tradition and culture fostered in near two thousand years.
Everybody including Sarkozy must admit and accept that Orient culture has a truly peculiar identity different from Occidental one.
Now I am eagerly learning French. I have a hope and plan to discuss Japanese culture with Sarkozy in the future.
See you.
I have corrected a little your essay like the below.
Dear. Okamura san
Thank you for sending me an very interesting and precious opinion on your objection to Sarkozy's speech made on January 9 in 2004 during his visiting Hong Kong. That was so quickly reported by the French weekly magazine "Paris Match" that went around world instantly.
I made a swift research on the Internet of whatever he said and how the situation was at that time. As a result, I found he was one of the cabinet members of the Sirac Administration and Sirac was a strong candidate for the presidential election for him.
However, after having read the article in summary I thought it was incredible for him to make such an absurd and ridiculous speech despite the fact that he was also regarded as one of the predominant would-be candidates. I didn't even feel any sense of “esprit " at all which French people used to love.
It should not be done to speak ill of other country’s culture in public as a minister of the cultural super power.
I think candidate Royal, who severely criticized Japanese animations and comics flooded into France with full of sexual and violent scenes, would be rather quite honest and decent than Sarkozy.
On the other hand he also gave a comment that he agreed with the attendance of Japan to the Permanent member of the Security Council.
Therefore his speech in Hong Kong might have been a demonstration or a bitter irony toward the president Sirac who was an eager pro-Japanese French acquiring a large stock of Japanese culture.
Sarkozy himself must have known the word "japonisme" which had influenced many famous French artists in late 19 century. His speech was no less the one than a heavy sarcasm derived from the political situations at that time.
Maybe he was attempting to get people’s supports.
Even in Japan, many politicians dare to refer to offensive matters to the foreign countries.
Among them, Shintaro Ishihara,the Governor of Metro Tokyo, often have made such "might be" vicious speeches ; He once called China as " Sina", Korean and Taiwanese as "Sangoku-jin" or "Third Nationals" which must be considered obviously as scornful words among Japanese. These utterances might have some political attempts for them to intend to. I think it happens in any countries.
Anyway to criticize different culture is not a appropriate manner or attitude of intellectuals. It is quite natural that different culture has its own different aspect. That is the very definition of culture.
So learning more about Japanese culture we should try to be able to explain the essences of it by comparison with those of the others to foreigners who will have visit with full of curiosities unlike " Sarkozy" !
Finally, I am looking forward to seeing you anywhere at both tourist spots and Japanese pubs with foreign friends.
Ａｌｌｉｇａｔｏｒ !