Abe’s Shrine Visit Hurts Japanese Image.docVIP

Abe’s Shrine Visit Hurts Japanese Image 　　My daughter， who stud- ies at Waseda University in Japan， often asks me，“The Japanese people I know are very friendly and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is very popular in his country， but why does China so often criticize Japan as having right-wing tendencies？” Shigeru Ishiba， secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party （LDP） who formerly served as Japan’s Minister of Defense， asked me during a Sino-Japanese think tank forum， “Since the end of World War II， Japan has remained peaceful， so why does China think Japan wants to revive militarism？” Soichiro Tahara， a famous Japanese TV host， also asked me， “The Sino-Japanese relationship was stabilized after so many ups and downs， so why has it begun to deteriorate now？” However， Japan’s rightist swerve is not due to what China says， but from what Japan has done. Twenty-five years ago， when I was working in Osaka， Japanese right-wing extremists often caused trouble in front of the Chinese Consulate in Osaka. Then， as director of the General Office of the Consulate-General， I had to discuss the matter with the local government and police department， and even talk to the Japanese right-wing leaders. But at that time， they were basically non-violent， and people saw them as alternative voices which could be easily isolated. However， activities of right-wing extremists have become more rampant and violent today， from shouting to smashing gates and breaking into the consulate and even to throwing Molotov cocktails. Recently， many Japanese citizens have joined provocative activities organized by right-wing groups. I wonder whether it is due to right-wingers’ claims –to gain more sympathy and support – or the Japanese people’s need for any opportunity to relieve the pressure of the long-time economic depression. Note the Japanese media. I dealt with them for more than a decade when I worked in Japan. Forget right-wing newspaper Sankei Shimbun – even avowed“neutral and impart