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The author of this blog will answer to your questions and comments. And this is the only place in the world where you can engage in free discussion with people from English, Japanese, Chinese and Russian speaking areas. |
I set up this blog in November 2006. I was born in 1947—the year that saw the enforcement of the new Constitution of Japan as well as the Basic Law on Education, the Labour Standards Law, the new Civil Law, and other laws which established the structure of post-war Japan. In other words, I have lived the entire span of post-war Japan.
From 1970 to 2004, I worked as a diplomat, a position that allowed me to witness the whole process in all its detail. Japan had come to be treated as a great power, yet it was persistently hesitant to crawl out from under America’s wing and was gradually becoming overshadowed by China.
Now world history is facing an upheaval, probably the most significant one in the past 500 years. Faced with the emergence of Japan and China, the Euro-centered global structure is gradually changing. In times when the balance of power changes, small events can lead to emotional disputes between countries. I, for my part, would like to use a presentation of statements based on honesty and fairness to help alleviate such emotional conflicts and prevent events from developing into tragic consequences such as bloodshed.
Japan, throughout most of its history, has adopted different cultural aspects from China, Korea, and other areas of the East and developed them in its own way. Since Japan opened itself to the world about 150 years ago, it has been struggling to establish itself as a strong state and strong individual in the style of the Western European countries.
Today, there is a great deal of hype about the “clash of civilizations” and the clash of values. Japan, having long undergone trial and error as it positioned itself between the East and the West, has accumulated precious experiences to share in each of the issues of relationship between the state and individuals, democracy, economic development, and the reconciliation of Western and traditional cultures. I myself have worked in regions that are home to various civilization such as the Soviet Union, the United States, Western Europe, and the Islamic region, and found human beings to be fundamentally the same everywhere.
Japan is a country which is adept at acting in the world to block meaningless conflicts of emotions and bloodshed that arise from differences in development stages and cultures. I believe Japan should be a country which, rather than using its power to force its viewpoints and interests, seeks to help promote the self-help efforts of the countries concerned.
This may be the only personal blog in the world which can be used in English, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese. While I am always in touch with the stance of the Japanese government on various issues, this blog is of an entirely personal nature and receives no support or directions from the government.
I would like to arrange a venue for international debates on this blog in the near future.
From 1970 to 2004, I worked as a diplomat, a position that allowed me to witness the whole process in all its detail. Japan had come to be treated as a great power, yet it was persistently hesitant to crawl out from under America’s wing and was gradually becoming overshadowed by China.
Now world history is facing an upheaval, probably the most significant one in the past 500 years. Faced with the emergence of Japan and China, the Euro-centered global structure is gradually changing. In times when the balance of power changes, small events can lead to emotional disputes between countries. I, for my part, would like to use a presentation of statements based on honesty and fairness to help alleviate such emotional conflicts and prevent events from developing into tragic consequences such as bloodshed.
Japan, throughout most of its history, has adopted different cultural aspects from China, Korea, and other areas of the East and developed them in its own way. Since Japan opened itself to the world about 150 years ago, it has been struggling to establish itself as a strong state and strong individual in the style of the Western European countries.
Today, there is a great deal of hype about the “clash of civilizations” and the clash of values. Japan, having long undergone trial and error as it positioned itself between the East and the West, has accumulated precious experiences to share in each of the issues of relationship between the state and individuals, democracy, economic development, and the reconciliation of Western and traditional cultures. I myself have worked in regions that are home to various civilization such as the Soviet Union, the United States, Western Europe, and the Islamic region, and found human beings to be fundamentally the same everywhere.
Japan is a country which is adept at acting in the world to block meaningless conflicts of emotions and bloodshed that arise from differences in development stages and cultures. I believe Japan should be a country which, rather than using its power to force its viewpoints and interests, seeks to help promote the self-help efforts of the countries concerned.
This may be the only personal blog in the world which can be used in English, Chinese, Russian, and Japanese. While I am always in touch with the stance of the Japanese government on various issues, this blog is of an entirely personal nature and receives no support or directions from the government.
I would like to arrange a venue for international debates on this blog in the near future.
