Japan can Isolate but not Detach Itself from Asia

Japan can Isolate but not Detach Itself from Asia
United Daily News editorial (Taipei, Taiwan, ROC)
A Translation
May 9, 2013

Summary: Mainland China and South Korea are on the rise. Yet Japan continues to look down its nose at neighboring countries. It remains bent on distancing itself from Asia. The result will inevitably be self-isolation. Abe is driven by nationalism. He has worshipped at the Yasukuni Shrine. He has reinstituted Sovereign Anniversary Day. He is paving the way for future constitutional amendments. But these moves will only alienate Japan from its neighbors. They will not change the fact that Japan remains firmly located in Asia.

Full Text below:

Japanese Prime MInister Shinzo Abe said that when Japan amends its constitution, it need not explain itself to Mainland China and South Korea. Of course Japan need not explain itself to its Asian neighbors. After all, according to Abe, Japan ceased to be part of Asia long ago.

Since Abe took office, Japan has used nationalism to "break away from Asia." This has made its East Asian neighbors uneasy. Japan may be located in Asia. but it evinces very little Asian consciousness. Instead its consciousness betrays the narrow-minded superiority complex of an island nation.

As past experience shows, whenever Japan's political and economic strength waxes, it attempts to distance itself from Asia. Whenever its political and economic strength wanes, Japan returns to the Asian fold.

By 1885, Japan's Meiji Restoration was a success. Japanese strategic thinker Fukuzawa Yukichi published an article in the Jiji Shinpo ("Current Affairs News") entitled, "Leaving Asia and Joining Europe." Fukuzawa concluded it was not worth waiting for Japan's backward neighbors to undergo development and experience a resurgence. He concluded Japan would be better off abandoning the nations of Asia, and aligning itself with the practioners of Western imperialism. Fukuzawa's attitude reeked of military superiority. A century later, in 1986, Japan's bubble economy was at its peak. Right-wing Japanese pundit Keitaro Hasegawa published a book entitled, "Goodbye Asia," which depicted Japan's Asian neighbors as garbage dumps, and Japan as a gleaming high-rise building towering above this expanse of garbage. Hasegawa's attitude reeked of economic superiority.

Today however, the Japanese economy remains trapped in a "lost two decades." Its military remains bound by Japan's post-war "Peace Constitution." Both its economic superiority and military superiority have evaporated, simultaneously. So how precisely does Abe intend to extricate itself from Asia? The answer is nationalism. He is using nationalism to reclaim the Japanese Empire's past glory.

As Abe sees it, three pillars are essential for a resurgent Japan. The first pillar is Abe Economics. Abe must restore long-term economic growth. If he can, then the Abe regime's public support will remain strong. This will provide Abe with the popularity he needs. The second pillar is a hard-line policy on the Diaoyutai Islands territorial dispute. This means continued alarmism about a rising Mainland Chinese military threat. This will provide the Abe regime with the support that he needs from right-wing nationalists at home. This will provides Abe with the courage he needs. The third pillar is the support of the U.S. government. He must obtain the United States' one-sided support. He must obtain the support of Mainland China's neighbors. This will enable Abe to exert pressure on Mainland China. This will provide Abe with the resolve that he needs.

Right-wing nationalism has led Abe to three erroneous conclusions about Asia:

Abe's first error is to assume that a Japanese economic recovery does not require Asia. Abe Economics calls for currency devaluation and loose money. These policies may enable the Japanese economy to regain its strength, but only temporarily. They have also enabled Abe to delude himself, and to assume that Japan's economic recovery does not need Asia. In fact, employment and real wages in Japan have not improved. Mainland China remains Japan's largest trading partner. ASEAN is Japan's second largest trading partner. South Korea is Japan's second-largest export customer. Only by improving relations with neighboring countries, can Japan maintain long-term economic growth and prosperity.

Abe's second error is to conclude that by advocating nationalism, Japan can do without Asia. Nationalism is on the rise in Japan, stemming primarily from the expectations of right-wing groups who want to amend Japan's constitution. During a professional baseball awards ceremony, Abe donned a baseball uniform emblazoned with the number 96. Abe aggressively advocates amending Article 96 of Japan's constitution. He wants to reduce the threshold for a constitutional amendment. In Japan, there have been xenophobic outcries and public demonstrations calling for the murder of Koreans and other foreigners. In South Korea, over 80% of the Korean public dislike Japan. Japan's so-called "normalization of the nation" has touched off alarms in neighboring countries. Rising nationalism in Japan is undermining trust between Japan and its neighbos.

Abe's third and final error, is to assume that as long as Japan remains chummy with the US, it can distance itself from Asia. In order to confront Mainland China, Japan has strengthened its alliance with the US. It has appealed to nations that have territorial disputes with Mainland China. It refers to them as an "arc of freedom and prosperity." But these countries and Japan are merely fair weather friends. They have no desire to go head to head with Mainland China. United States support for Japan is conditional, It calls for a powerful Japan to confront Mainland China. It does not call for a Jingoistic Japan to destroy the balance of power in Asia.

As we can see, Mainland China and South Korea are on the rise. Yet Japan continues to look down its nose at neighboring countries. It remains bent on distancing itself from Asia. The result will inevitably be self-isolation. Abe is driven by nationalism. He has worshipped at the Yasukuni Shrine. He has reinstituted Sovereign Anniversary Day. He is paving the way for future constitutional amendments. But these moves will only alienate Japan from its neighbors. They will not change the fact that Japan remains firmly located in Asia.

Short-sighted politicians often bring disaster upon their country. Asia can tolerate an isolated Japan. But Japan cannot divorce itself from Asia.

日本可以孤立，卻無法脫亞演出
【聯合報╱社論】
2013.05.09 03:58 am

安倍日前說，日本修改本國憲法，不需要向中國大陸及韓國解釋。日本當然毋須向亞洲鄰國解釋，因為對安倍來說，日本早就脫離亞洲了。

自從安倍上台之後，日本就以鼓吹民族主義來進行「脫亞化」，極力製造東亞鄰國的不安。日本雖身處於亞洲，但它的亞洲意識卻一向薄弱，而它亞洲意識的薄弱，卻是建構在島國狹隘心理的優越感上。

從過去歷史的經驗來看，每當日本的政經實力崛起時，它就會急著想要脫離亞洲；而當它的政經實力逐漸衰落時，日本又會重新回到亞洲。

一八八五年當日本明治維新成功之後，日本思想家福澤諭吉便在「時事新報」提出「脫亞入歐」論，他認為與其等待落後的鄰邦來共同開化復興，倒不如脫離亞洲諸國的行伍，而與西方帝國主義共進退，那是一種軍事上的優越感。而一個世紀後，當一九八六年在日本泡沫經濟到達最高峰時，日本右翼政論家長谷川慶太郎也出版「再見吧，亞細亞」一書，他把亞洲鄰國形容成是一座垃圾場，而日本則是矗立在垃圾場上的巍峨高廈，那是一種經濟上的優越感。

當今日本經濟深陷入失落的二十年，以及軍事又受到戰後《和平憲法》的箝制，經濟及軍事的優越感都不復存在的同時，安倍又要如何來脫離亞洲呢？答案便是民族主義，以鼓吹民族主義來找回往日大國的榮光。

對安倍來說，重新找回強大的日本要靠三大支柱：第一是安倍經濟學，只要日本的經濟能夠持續成長復甦，安倍政權的民意支持度便能歷久不衰，那是安倍的人氣；第二支柱是對釣魚台領土爭議的強硬政策，只要持續鼓吹中國大陸軍事崛起的威脅性，自然能夠凝聚國內右傾的民族主義，那是安倍的底氣；第三則是美國政府的支持，只要採取對美國一邊倒的政策，對中國大陸周邊國家進行合縱連橫，自然可以對中國大陸形成強大的壓力，那是安倍的士氣。

在右翼民族主義的推波助瀾下，讓安倍產生三項錯誤的亞洲觀：

首先，是以為經濟的復甦可以不需要亞洲：安倍經濟學的貨幣貶值政策及寬鬆的貨幣政策，讓日本經濟暫時找回復甦的力道，同時也讓安倍產生一種錯覺，那就是日本經濟的復甦可以不需要亞洲。其實，日本的就業與實質薪資都未見提升，而中國大陸是日本的第一大貿易國，東協是日本第二大貿易夥伴，而韓國更是日本第二大出口國；唯有改善與周邊國家的關係，日本經濟才能維持長期的榮景。

其次，是以為鼓吹民族主義，就可以不要亞洲：這波日本國內高漲的民族主義，主要來自右翼團體對修改和平憲法的期待；安倍在職棒頒獎儀式上穿上九十六號球衣，大力宣傳他所主張修改憲法第九十六條降低修憲門檻，同時日本國內也出現殺死朝鮮人等排外言行的示威行動；在韓國，已有八成國民表示不喜歡日本。由此可見，日本這波所謂「國家正常化」舉動不但引起周邊國家的疑慮，同時高漲的民族主義也破壞了日本與周邊國家的正常信任。

最後，是以為只要倒向美國，便可以脫離亞洲：為了要對抗中國，日本一方面強化美日同盟，一方面串聯與中國大陸具有領土爭議的周邊國家形成「自由與繁榮之弧」，但是這些國家與日本都只是暫時各取所需，並非真正要對抗中國大陸。而美國對日本並非是無條件的支持，它需要一個強大的日本來對抗中國大陸，卻不要一個耀武揚威的日本來破壞亞洲的權力平衡。

由此可見，在中國大陸、韓國相繼崛起的效應下，日本若仍藐視周邊鄰國，執意要脫離亞洲，結果勢必是自陷於孤立。安倍在民族主義驅使下，以祭拜靖國神社亡靈、恢復主權紀念日，來為日後的修憲行動鋪路，但這些舉動只會讓日本與周邊國家的距離越來越遠，卻無法改變日本身處於亞洲的事實。

政客的短視，往往為國家帶來災禍。需知，亞洲可以有一個孤立的日本，但日本卻無法脫離亞洲。