Dear Senator Obama
MURATA Ryohei / Former Ambassador of Japan to the United States
November 12, 2008
Upon hearing reports about the results of the election on November 4th, I wish to express my warmest felicitations to you.
Allow me to express as one Japanese citizen some views, possibly somewhat biased, regarding the United States and Japan-U.S. relations.
The United States suffers from two diseases. One of them is incurable as it is deeply rooted in the history of the U.S. ever since its foundation. It is called a "Holy am I alone" disease. While there have been intermittent moments of self-examination the US has always considered itself right. One symptom of this disease is the so-called "twin deficits" it has piled up with insouciance.
The second disease is "Forget morality in pursuit of profit" syndrome that surfaces on and off. I shall refrain from going back into the past to cite examples, but the financial crisis that originated in the U.S. -- the biggest problem of the day -- in fact is the result of this syndrome. I know that brilliant brains of America have produced achievements in the field called financial engineering, and many among them have won the Nobel prize for economics. "Investment banks" and others have applied their achievements to develop all sorts of financial instruments. While they were not illegal it cannot be denied that business practices involving immorality have taken place. This financial crisis has undermined America's international standing dramatically.
Your country's influence, however, had started to wane earlier due partly to the rise of China, India and others and Russia's reemergence. The declining influence was evident from the fact that many countries, some of your allies included, voiced their opposition to the war in Iraq.
At the time of the 9.11 terrorist attacks, because of the dramatic nature of the incident Japan, Europe and quite a few other countries expressed their solidarity with the U.S. There were, however, more than a few people who secretly rejoiced at the crime as a successful attack by the weak on the powerful. As the security situation in Iraq improves, the war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan is intensifying recently. This is spurring hatred of ordinary Afghan people against the U.S.-led forces, as casualty rises amongst innocent citizens. I do not think the United States can win this war.
In East Asia the U.S. negotiator in charge of negotiations with North Korea cut a sorry figure as he continued to be led every which way by his counterpart. The US response to North Korea including its removal from the list of state-sponsors of terrorism offered many Japanese an opportunity to think twice about what sort of country the United States is. My understanding of the Japan-US alliance from its very beginning has been that it was concluded to perpetuate the occupation of major bases on Japanese territory. During the Cold War under palpable threat of the Soviet Union and the "nuclear umbrella" of the United States, which was perceived to be credible, the Japanese people, while tolerating the presence of the bases, toiled to develop the economy. In the meantime the U.S. forces in Japan for more than 60 years and even after the end of the Cold War continued to take for granted the concession Japan had made involuntarily.
Prevention of nuclear proliferation is desirable. The nuclear haves, however, have failed to make any progress on nuclear disarmament. In fact, as nuclear weapons of India and other nuclear weapons states as well as those of North Korea seem to be condoned, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is no more than a dead piece of paper. It is said that there is a secret understanding between the United States and China not to allow Japan to go nuclear but no country can stop Japan from making its choice based on what it determines to be in the supreme interest of its own security.
Incidentally the purpose of the "realignment of the U.S. forces" that is underway is to defend the U.S. mainland under which Japan is merely defined as a frontline base for that purpose. To force Japan to take on the cost burden for this realignment is nothing short of being rapacious.
Before concluding allow me to make one point about the war in the Pacific theater.
Japan is entirely at fault procedurally with regard to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It should be pointed out, however, that the attacks by Japanese combat aircraft were directed strictly at military targets. On the other hand while the US has attempted to justify the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on numerous grounds, it was an obvious violation of international law as the bombs massacred Japanese people like guinea pigs in an experiment.
I do understand that the president of the United States cannot apologize for the atomic bombings but, at least, can he not express regret? Otherwise I fear that the "awkward feeling" the Japanese people harbor toward the United States will not be dispelled forever.
The writer is former vice-minister for foreign affairs and former ambassador to the US and Germany.
Allow me to express as one Japanese citizen some views, possibly somewhat biased, regarding the United States and Japan-U.S. relations.
The United States suffers from two diseases. One of them is incurable as it is deeply rooted in the history of the U.S. ever since its foundation. It is called a "Holy am I alone" disease. While there have been intermittent moments of self-examination the US has always considered itself right. One symptom of this disease is the so-called "twin deficits" it has piled up with insouciance.
The second disease is "Forget morality in pursuit of profit" syndrome that surfaces on and off. I shall refrain from going back into the past to cite examples, but the financial crisis that originated in the U.S. -- the biggest problem of the day -- in fact is the result of this syndrome. I know that brilliant brains of America have produced achievements in the field called financial engineering, and many among them have won the Nobel prize for economics. "Investment banks" and others have applied their achievements to develop all sorts of financial instruments. While they were not illegal it cannot be denied that business practices involving immorality have taken place. This financial crisis has undermined America's international standing dramatically.
Your country's influence, however, had started to wane earlier due partly to the rise of China, India and others and Russia's reemergence. The declining influence was evident from the fact that many countries, some of your allies included, voiced their opposition to the war in Iraq.
At the time of the 9.11 terrorist attacks, because of the dramatic nature of the incident Japan, Europe and quite a few other countries expressed their solidarity with the U.S. There were, however, more than a few people who secretly rejoiced at the crime as a successful attack by the weak on the powerful. As the security situation in Iraq improves, the war against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan is intensifying recently. This is spurring hatred of ordinary Afghan people against the U.S.-led forces, as casualty rises amongst innocent citizens. I do not think the United States can win this war.
In East Asia the U.S. negotiator in charge of negotiations with North Korea cut a sorry figure as he continued to be led every which way by his counterpart. The US response to North Korea including its removal from the list of state-sponsors of terrorism offered many Japanese an opportunity to think twice about what sort of country the United States is. My understanding of the Japan-US alliance from its very beginning has been that it was concluded to perpetuate the occupation of major bases on Japanese territory. During the Cold War under palpable threat of the Soviet Union and the "nuclear umbrella" of the United States, which was perceived to be credible, the Japanese people, while tolerating the presence of the bases, toiled to develop the economy. In the meantime the U.S. forces in Japan for more than 60 years and even after the end of the Cold War continued to take for granted the concession Japan had made involuntarily.
Prevention of nuclear proliferation is desirable. The nuclear haves, however, have failed to make any progress on nuclear disarmament. In fact, as nuclear weapons of India and other nuclear weapons states as well as those of North Korea seem to be condoned, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty is no more than a dead piece of paper. It is said that there is a secret understanding between the United States and China not to allow Japan to go nuclear but no country can stop Japan from making its choice based on what it determines to be in the supreme interest of its own security.
Incidentally the purpose of the "realignment of the U.S. forces" that is underway is to defend the U.S. mainland under which Japan is merely defined as a frontline base for that purpose. To force Japan to take on the cost burden for this realignment is nothing short of being rapacious.
Before concluding allow me to make one point about the war in the Pacific theater.
Japan is entirely at fault procedurally with regard to the attack on Pearl Harbor. It should be pointed out, however, that the attacks by Japanese combat aircraft were directed strictly at military targets. On the other hand while the US has attempted to justify the use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki on numerous grounds, it was an obvious violation of international law as the bombs massacred Japanese people like guinea pigs in an experiment.
I do understand that the president of the United States cannot apologize for the atomic bombings but, at least, can he not express regret? Otherwise I fear that the "awkward feeling" the Japanese people harbor toward the United States will not be dispelled forever.
The writer is former vice-minister for foreign affairs and former ambassador to the US and Germany.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
親愛なるオバマ上院議員へ
村田良平 / 元駐米大使
2008年 11月 12日
１１月４日の選挙の結果の報道に接し、心からの喜びを表明致します。
私は一人の日本人として、偏見が混じっているでしょうが、米国および日米関係につき、若干の見解を述べさせて頂きます。
米国は二つの病を持っています。その一つは、建国以来の歴史に深く根差すものだけに、不治の病です。病名は「唯我独尊病」です。時折の反省はあるものの、米国は常に自国は正しいと考えてきました。平然と所謂「双子の赤字」を積み上げて来たのもこの病気の一兆候でしょう。
第二の病気は、間歇的に起こる「利益のために道義を忘れる」という症候群です。過去へ遡って例を挙げることは控えますが、目下最大の問題たる米国発の金融危機は、まさにこの病の結果として起こったものです。私は米国の優れた頭脳が、金融工学と呼ばれる分野で業績を挙げ、その何人もがノーベル経済学賞を得たことを知っています。その成果を生かして「投資銀行」などが諸種の金融商品を開発してきました。しかし、違法ではないにせよ、不道徳性を内包する商行為が行われたことは否定出来ないところです。今次金融危機は、米国の国際的地位を劇的に低下させました。しかし、貴国の影響力低下はより早く始まっていました。中国、インドなどの台頭、ロシアの再登場もその一因ですが、イラクへの戦争には一部の同盟国を含む多くの国々が反対しました。９月１１日事件の際は、そのドラマティックさのゆえに、日本,欧州をはじめ米国との連帯感を表明した国々も多々ありましたが、密かにこの犯罪を、弱者による強者への攻撃の成功として喜んだ人々も少なくなかったのです。イラクの安全保障の状況が改善されるにつれて、最近強化されているアフガニスタンのアル・カエダとタリバンへの戦いは、無辜の住民の死傷者を増加させているので、米軍以下の軍に対する一般のアフガン人達の憎悪を高めてしまっています。私には米国がこの戦争に勝てるとは考えません。
東アジアにおいては、北朝鮮との交渉において、米国交渉者は相手に振り回され続けるという醜態を演じました。テロ支援国家からの解除を含め、北朝鮮への対応振りは、多くの日本国民に、米国とは如何なる国かについて、再考する機会を与えました。私は、当初から、日米同盟は、日本領土中の主要基地の占拠を恒久化するために締結されたものと考えています。冷戦中は、日本もソ連の脅威を感じていましたし、また米国の「核の傘」もまず信用のおけるものでしたから、国民は基地の存在を容認しつつ、経済の発展に努めてきました。一方、駐留米軍は冷戦終了後も、本来不本意な日本側の譲歩を、既に六十年以上当然視し続けています。
核兵器の拡散防止は望ましいことであります。しかし、核保有国の核軍縮は全く進まず、他方インド以下の核兵器国に加え、北朝鮮の核も黙認されるようですから、ＮＰＴ条約は既に古証文化していると言えるでしょう。米国と中国との間に、日本には核武装を許さないとの密約がある由ですが、日本が自国の至高の安全保障のために決心して執るoptionをどの国も止めることはできません。なお、現在進行中の「米軍の再編計画」の目的は、米国本土の防衛にあり、日本を単にそのための前進基地と位置づけていますから、同計画に係わる経費を日本に負担させるとの考えは強欲としか言えません。
最後に、太平洋における戦争について、私の意見を一点のみ述べさせて頂きます。
真珠湾攻撃は、手続き上全面的に日本に非があります。ただし、日本の航空機の攻撃は、専ら軍事的目標に対して行われました。他方、廣島、長崎に対する原子爆弾の使用は、米側により、種々の理由づけで正当化が試みられていますが、日本人をモルモット同様実験の対象として殺戮したもので、明白な国際法違反の行為であります。
合衆国大統領が、原爆の投下について、陳謝できないことは良く分かります。しかし、せめて遺憾の意が表明されない限り、日本民族の米国に対する「わだかまり」は永久に無くならないことを申し添えます。
（筆者は元外務次官、駐米、駐独大使。）
私は一人の日本人として、偏見が混じっているでしょうが、米国および日米関係につき、若干の見解を述べさせて頂きます。
米国は二つの病を持っています。その一つは、建国以来の歴史に深く根差すものだけに、不治の病です。病名は「唯我独尊病」です。時折の反省はあるものの、米国は常に自国は正しいと考えてきました。平然と所謂「双子の赤字」を積み上げて来たのもこの病気の一兆候でしょう。
第二の病気は、間歇的に起こる「利益のために道義を忘れる」という症候群です。過去へ遡って例を挙げることは控えますが、目下最大の問題たる米国発の金融危機は、まさにこの病の結果として起こったものです。私は米国の優れた頭脳が、金融工学と呼ばれる分野で業績を挙げ、その何人もがノーベル経済学賞を得たことを知っています。その成果を生かして「投資銀行」などが諸種の金融商品を開発してきました。しかし、違法ではないにせよ、不道徳性を内包する商行為が行われたことは否定出来ないところです。今次金融危機は、米国の国際的地位を劇的に低下させました。しかし、貴国の影響力低下はより早く始まっていました。中国、インドなどの台頭、ロシアの再登場もその一因ですが、イラクへの戦争には一部の同盟国を含む多くの国々が反対しました。９月１１日事件の際は、そのドラマティックさのゆえに、日本,欧州をはじめ米国との連帯感を表明した国々も多々ありましたが、密かにこの犯罪を、弱者による強者への攻撃の成功として喜んだ人々も少なくなかったのです。イラクの安全保障の状況が改善されるにつれて、最近強化されているアフガニスタンのアル・カエダとタリバンへの戦いは、無辜の住民の死傷者を増加させているので、米軍以下の軍に対する一般のアフガン人達の憎悪を高めてしまっています。私には米国がこの戦争に勝てるとは考えません。
東アジアにおいては、北朝鮮との交渉において、米国交渉者は相手に振り回され続けるという醜態を演じました。テロ支援国家からの解除を含め、北朝鮮への対応振りは、多くの日本国民に、米国とは如何なる国かについて、再考する機会を与えました。私は、当初から、日米同盟は、日本領土中の主要基地の占拠を恒久化するために締結されたものと考えています。冷戦中は、日本もソ連の脅威を感じていましたし、また米国の「核の傘」もまず信用のおけるものでしたから、国民は基地の存在を容認しつつ、経済の発展に努めてきました。一方、駐留米軍は冷戦終了後も、本来不本意な日本側の譲歩を、既に六十年以上当然視し続けています。
核兵器の拡散防止は望ましいことであります。しかし、核保有国の核軍縮は全く進まず、他方インド以下の核兵器国に加え、北朝鮮の核も黙認されるようですから、ＮＰＴ条約は既に古証文化していると言えるでしょう。米国と中国との間に、日本には核武装を許さないとの密約がある由ですが、日本が自国の至高の安全保障のために決心して執るoptionをどの国も止めることはできません。なお、現在進行中の「米軍の再編計画」の目的は、米国本土の防衛にあり、日本を単にそのための前進基地と位置づけていますから、同計画に係わる経費を日本に負担させるとの考えは強欲としか言えません。
最後に、太平洋における戦争について、私の意見を一点のみ述べさせて頂きます。
真珠湾攻撃は、手続き上全面的に日本に非があります。ただし、日本の航空機の攻撃は、専ら軍事的目標に対して行われました。他方、廣島、長崎に対する原子爆弾の使用は、米側により、種々の理由づけで正当化が試みられていますが、日本人をモルモット同様実験の対象として殺戮したもので、明白な国際法違反の行為であります。
合衆国大統領が、原爆の投下について、陳謝できないことは良く分かります。しかし、せめて遺憾の意が表明されない限り、日本民族の米国に対する「わだかまり」は永久に無くならないことを申し添えます。
（筆者は元外務次官、駐米、駐独大使。）
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟