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Asahi Shimbun
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Asahi Shimbun
INTERVIEW/ Shinichi Kitaoka: Japan should look to future on 80th anniversary of end of WWII
Rather than issue a formal statement, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is said to be planning to release a 'personal message' to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. On the landmark 50th anniversary, and again on the 60th and 70th anniversaries, Japan issued statements in the name of the prime ministers of the time. A major point of contention in those statements, and in Japan's official position over its historical perception at large, has centered on the issue of apology. Political scientist Shinichi Kitaoka, who helped work out the 70th anniversary statement a decade ago, says he believes that passing down history for posterity is one thing and continuing to apologize is another. In a recent interview with The Asahi Shimbun, Kitaoka shared his thoughts on what Japan should be doing in this age, when the world order is so out of joint. Excerpts of the interview follow: *** Kitaoka: Whether you deem the 'postwar period' as being over depends on how you define the postwar period. But one thing I can say for sure: the period of stability that followed World War II is being shaken. The years after World War II have few parallels in world history in that no major conflict erupted between the major powers over such a long period. Japan has enjoyed peace, throughout that time, under security arrangements with the United States. But the Constitution of Japan, which prohibits Japan from maintaining 'land, sea, and air forces, as well as other war potential,' is unreasonable by any world standards. Moreover, the United States, the architect of that setup, is no longer what it used to be. U.S. President Donald Trump has begun complaining that the security arrangements with Japan are unfair. He says it is unreasonable that the pact obligates the United States to defend Japan but not vice versa. The world order built by the United States following World War II is beginning to break down, which in my view, is showing itself symbolically in Japan-U.S. relations. Japan and Germany, the losers in that war, were slapped with security restrictions after the fighting finished. Germany, however, has gradually expanded its role in security. The country eased its constitutional rules on fiscal discipline earlier this year so it can spend more on defense. I think similar moves have been weaker and slower in Japan. If Russia's invasion of Ukraine and other developments are ending the postwar period of stability, which has been based on the peaceful settlement of international disputes and on free trade, and are ushering the world into a period of turmoil, that will pose a big risk for Japan, which, therefore, should make efforts on its own to prevent that from happening. I, for one, have been proposing the creation of a 'Western Pacific Union,' a framework that would embrace Japan, South Korea, Southeast Asian nations, Australia and Pacific island countries. That is not quite like an 'Asian version of NATO,' which Ishiba has been advocating. Unlike that one, which is security-specific, the union I am envisaging would discuss a broader variety of matters to build consensus so it could hold out against China, Russia, India and the United States, which are big powers with national egocentrism. I was on a team that worked out the statement issued by the Abe administration to mark 70 years from the war's end 10 years ago. The statement used the wording 'aggression' and 'colonial rule' because those are historical facts. Ishiba likely has plans to issue a message to the public, instead of a statement, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary. That would, in my view, no longer have to contain an element of apology. Passing down history for posterity is one thing, and continuing to apologize forever is another. If the 80th anniversary of the war's end carries any meaning, I think that's about how we could make it an opportunity for learning properly about history and thinking what Japan should be doing in the coming years. *** Born in 1948, Shinichi Kitaoka, a professor emeritus with the University of Tokyo, specializes in the history of Japanese politics and diplomacy. He is chairman of the board of directors with Nara Prefectural University. Kitaoka is the author of 'Haken Naki Jidai no Sekai Chizu' (World map in an era with no hegemony), and other books. (This article is based on an interview by Senior Editor Satoshi Ozawa.)
Hans India
04-05-2025
- Politics
- Hans India
Japan's Constitution Day: Rally held in Tokyo to honour peace, oppose war
Tokyo: Nearly 40,000 peace-seeking Japanese participated in a rally in a park in Tokyo on Constitution Memorial Day on Saturday, calling for honouring the country's pacifist constitution and opposition to war and arms expansion. Many Japanese lawmakers, scholars and citizens were invited to speak at the rally, with many participants holding banners and placards such as "Oppose arms expansion" and "Love the Constitution and safeguard world peace!" to express their firm support for the concept of peace, reports Xinhua news agency. The current Constitution of Japan was enacted in 1947 and is known as the pacifist postwar constitution, in which Article 9 renounces war and bans the country from maintaining land, sea and air forces, as well as other war potential. For decades, Article 9 has been a fundamental constraint on Japan's military endeavours. However, in recent years, the Japanese government has taken steps such as lifting the ban on collective self-defence and updating three security and defence-related documents, which have caused grave concern among the public. Senior officials from opposition parties called for not allowing the Diet, the country's parliament, to propose constitutional amendments while underscoring the need to protect peace, lives, livelihoods and human rights by utilising the current Constitution. Tomoko Tamura, head of the Japanese Communist Party, pointed out in her speech that the Japanese government's series of actions have essentially incorporated the Self-Defense Forces into the US military command system, adding that Japan should promote peace diplomacy in East Asia free from war concerns in accordance with the Constitution and build a broader framework for dialogue and cooperation. Ex-Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry official Shigeaki Koga said the world is undergoing profound changes, and Japan should adhere to the spirit of peace embodied in its Constitution. He stressed that Japan should break away from its dependence on certain countries and rebuild diplomatic relations based on people-to-people exchanges and understanding, noting that only through dialogue can confrontation be resolved and peace maintained. Emeritus Manabu Sato of the University of Tokyo criticised the current Japanese government's military expansion policy as being contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and questioned the huge defence expenditure. He believes that war-renouncing Article 9 brought long-term peace to Japan after the war, and the government should prioritise using resources for education, people's welfare and the improvement of social structure. The rally attracted a large number of young people and families. A mother who brought her children to the rally told Xinhua: "I hope my children can grow up in an environment free from the threat of war. As a parent, I have the responsibility to pass on this concept."
Yahoo
26-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Japan's Osaka High Court rules country's same-sex marriage ban 'unconstitutional'
March 25 (UPI) -- Japan's Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday that the country's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional. The court's ruling is the fifth decision to call Japan's same-sex marriage ban a violation of the country's constitution following similar rulings in the high courts of Sapporo, Tokyo, Fukuoka and Nagoya. Presiding Judge Kumiko Honda of the Osaka High Court ruled Tuesday in favor of three same-sex couples who filed a lawsuit against the government, seeking 6 million yen -- or $39,900 -- in compensation. While Honda dismissed the couples' appeal for compensation, he reversed Osaka District Court's prior ruling that Japan's Civil Code and Family Register Act limit marriage to heterosexual couples. Honda ruled Tuesday that a ban of same-sex marriage violates the right to equality in Article 14 of the Constitution of Japan, which states: "All of the people are equal under the law and there shall be no discrimination in political, economic or social relations because of race, creed, sex, social status or family origin." The court also ruled that the marriage ban violates Article 24, which states laws involving family "shall be enacted from the standpoint of individual dignity and the essential equality of the sexes." While the Osaka District Court based its decision on protecting the relationships of men and women to bring children into the world, the plaintiffs argued "there are heterosexual couples who don't intend to have children." Japan is currently the only International Group of Seven country that does not recognize same-sex marriage. Other G7 countries have encouraged Japan to fight discrimination and uphold protections for sexual and gender minorities. Some local governments in Japan have granted "partnership certificates" to same-sex couples, but those do not provide the same married rights of spousal visits, parental recognition or inheritance. "What should be questioned is the rationality in excluding same-sex couples from the marriage system," the plaintiffs argued. "Legalizing gay marriage would make more people happy, while it would make no one unhappy."
