The following is from an exclusive interview between Masayuki Takayama and Mabuchi Mutsuo, which was published in the monthly issue of WiLL on 2019/8/26, titled 'A former diplomat who still has a Korean shoulder and the Asahi Editorial Committee.'
Finally, a great opportunity has come for Korea to wean from Japan
The essence of Abe's diplomacy
Takayama
Except for white-listed countries, the Moon Jae-in administration is desperately anti-Japanese.
As a countermeasure, South Korea has also left Japan's 'white-listed countries.'
But what does this mean (laughs)?
Moon needs to find out the size of his country.
Mabuchi
The removal of 'white-listed countries' is an excellent opportunity for South Korea to wean from Japan.
It corrects the distorted constitution of Korea that relies on Japan despite being anti-Japan.
It is a time when Japan and Korea should be independent in a real sense.
Takayama
It is necessary to let the hand that connected go.
However, when something like this happens, cunning Asahi Shimbun, 'May we lose South Korea?' 'Of adult discretion' and so on, they suggest.
These words have influenced Japan, and in the past, we have said, "Well, it's OK.
However, it is all pain and no gain to have a relationship with Korea.
Mr. Abe, the first prime minister, recognized this fact.
However, the first Abe administration needed to prepare better and was quickly crushed.
Mabuchi
Though it launched, saying 'it retrieves Japan,' there is the American pressure, too, and he could not help being retired, unfortunately.
Takayama
Five years later, at the party debate before the second administration, Hoshi Hiroshi, a former journalist, asked, 'What will the comfort women issue be?'
Mr. Abe replied, 'Mr. Hoshi. Your Asahi Shimbun spread the story of the scammer Yoshida Seiji as if it were true all over Japan.'
Abe-san said a comfort woman problem was a fake in a whole country relay.
Hoshi lost his word, and President Kimura Tadakazu got out of the chair.
It is a great challenge that denounced the media opinion monopoly four years earlier than Trump.
Mabuchi
After all, Asahi admitted in 2014 that Yoshida Seiji's article was incorrect.
Takayama
It made it admit that the comfort woman problem was fake, and Asahi Shimbun took the lead.
It looked like an overwhelming victory.
Less than a year later, however, then Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida flew to Seoul to sign the "Japan-Korea Agreement on the Comfort Women Issue.
The military was involved, acknowledged that it had done wrong, and offered an apology and a billion yen to create the "Reconciliation and Healing Foundation.
That was a surprise.
It was having brought the anti-Japanese stronghold Asahi to its knees and poked a hole in the false masochistic view of history; what was he to do to destroy it?
The conservative press was unanimous in its criticism of Mr. Abe.
Some said he had "miscalculated the plan for a hundred years."
It was all the more shocking because the timing was right for Asahi to bow down and watch him go on a world apology tour.
At that time, only South Korea was happy.
They were so excited that they had finally and irreversibly ended the issue as a victory for South Korea.
However, before their tongues had dried, the Koreans realized they had been too rash as a "grudge-holding nation."
They then reversed their position, saying that the agreement was a mistake, declared that the comfort women were eternal, disbanded the foundation, and added more and more comfort women statues to it.
I felt as if I had seen the essence of Abe's diplomacy for the first time when I saw this happen.
Even if you give more than your limit to the other party, that country will break its promises with impunity.
For the first time, excellent, law-abiding Japanese realized that that country was extraordinary.
On the other hand, Korea has added to this insanity by demanding "compensation for drafted workers who have been moved forcibly."
It is precisely what the Japan-Korea Claims Agreement of 1965 clearly states, "This includes the salaries and bonuses of the drafted workers," and the money is paid in writing so that there will be no problems later.
Mabuchi
It overturns promises between nations in the same pattern as comfort women.
Takayama
When the Japanese hatred of Korea began to take shape, the false charge on the Rising Sun Flag, the radar irradiation incident, and Moon Hee-sang's 'Apologies for the Emperor' continued.
Abe removed Korea from the white-listed countries, where most Japanese were already disgusted with Korea.
It began to take a distance from South Korea.
The threshold that has lowered too much in the future may increase.
If public opinion doesn't side, such drastic measures don't get.
The good evidence is that the TV talk show program copied from Asahi is now taking an anti-Korean route.
Mabuchi
According to the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry's opinion solicitation, more than 95% of the measures are "Generally agree."
It is no exaggeration to say that the Japanese have awakened.
Takayama
If there had been no previous Abe strategy, it wouldn't have been able to get the support so far.
It taught that only friendship was bad * for * the relationship between a country and country.
We made it to expand international eyesight, didn't we?
Mabuchi
What Abe has been doing in the second and subsequent Abe cabinets was 'recovering original Japan,' which was impossible in the first cabinet.
Finally, this white-listed countries' exclusion marked the first step.
Misunderstanding of the Asahi pro-Korean faction
Takayama
The relationship with Korea was a nightmare for Japan.
However, there is a place with bad Japan, too.
Ryotaro Shiba wrote in his 'Korean Travel' that he would 'go to the land of Japanese ancestors' and 'a Korean with a history of dignified civilization and an independent country from an era older than Japan.'
The theory that Japan and Korea are the same ancestors was one of them.
Mabuchi
Under such circumstances, it was finally a great opportunity to cut off Korea.
Because now, the American president is Trump.
Until now, the United States has defended Korea and slashed the power of Japan.
This article continues.
2023/1/29, in Kyoto
