Rational voices in Japan's political circles

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the victory of the Anti-Fascist War, the wrongful remarks made by Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to explain himself on visits to the Yasukuni shrine incited the victim countries of World War II in Asia and resulted in serious setback in Japan's relations with its Asian neighbors. The situation has aroused grave attention among the Japanese public and political sectors. Men of insight joined each other to make their stands clear, representing sensible voices in the Japanese society.

Speaker of the Japanese House of Representatives Yohei Kono and five former Japanese prime ministers Kaifu Toshiki, Kiichi Miyazawa, Tomiichi Murayama, Ryutaro Hashimoto and Yoshiro Mori held a meeting on June 1, at which they agreed that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the Yasukuni shrine are an important reason for the deterioration of Japan's relations with neighboring countries. They said Koizumi should decide whether to visit the shrine with "utmost caution".

Moreover, former prime ministers Yasuhiro Nakasone, Morihiro Hosokawa and Hata Tsutomu also said in their phone calls with Yohei Kono that Koizumi should be prudent when deciding whether to visit the shrine. The remarks made by eight former prime ministers at the same time carry much weight.

Komeito Party leader Kanzaki Takenori said on the same day that Koizumi should stop visiting the shrine, otherwise it would have a negative impact on the foundation of the coalition government. Chairman of the Policy Research Council of Japan's opposition party the Democratic Party of Japan criticized the behavior of Koizumi appears "a child" regarding relations with China and the Republic of Korea. The Socialist Democratic Party also excoriated the explanations by Koizumi, believing it was his remarks that caused the setback in the Japan-China relations.

Inside the ruling party and the administration, secretary general of the Japanese Liberal Democratic Party Takebe Tutomu, and cabinet secretary Hiroyuki Hosoda said China opposes to prime minister Junichiro Koizumi's visits to the shrine and "does not regard it as interfering with Japan's internal affairs."

After Japanese Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Minister Nariaki Nakayama made the remarks regarding the "comfort women", Hiroyuki Hosoda stood up again on June 13, reaffirming the existence of the "comfort women" question and apologizing for remarks denying the existence of the "comfort women".

We appreciate the sensible voices in Japan's political circles.

The political spectrum of the Japanese society is rather complicated. The above rational voices are also different in extent. Some have a rather correct understanding of the historical question and call for Japan's deep self-examination on its past aggression crime. From the fact that the adoption ratio for the new-edition textbook is only about one percent, it can be seen that those who have such an awareness are not small in number. There are also many people who insist that Japan should pursue a peaceful path and be friendly with China. Some, proceeding from Japan's actual and long-term interests, realize that East Asian regional cooperation is Japan's only way out in the future. Some, in view of the constitutional principle of separating politics from religion, oppose to upgrading the Yasukuni shrine to the national level.

On the other hand, it is the undeniable reality that the right-wing nationalist sentiment is on the rise in Japan. In the right-wing political spectrum, some are obsessed with the hackneyed talk of "Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere". Some are confined with the insular mindset and have lost a mental equilibrium in the face of a neighbors' development. Some suffer from a kind of morbid nationalist narcissism and conceit, dare not and are unwilling to face the historical facts.

As an economic super power, Japan is exhibiting a strong aspiration to gain its international political status. How it pursues this goal is a weighty choice. The old path of militarism, arrogantly seeking hegemony and taking neighboring countries as enemy, is not be taken, for it has been proved by history as a dead alley. Moreover, today's conditions all the more do not allow Japan to take that path. We hope the rational voices in Japan's political circles sound louder and louder, for this is not only in the interest of Japan but also favorable for the peace, stability and development of Asia and the world.

This is an article carried on the first page of People's Daily Overseas Edition on June 15 and translated by People's Daily Online