Clues for Imperial Diplomacy of the Reiwa Era
NISHIKAWA Megumi / Journalist
July 11, 2019
The imperial diplomacy of the Reiwa Era began with the visit of US president Trump and the First Lady as state guests. The era’s start has been substantially different from that of Heisei’s.
The start of Heisei’s imperial diplomacy was funeral diplomacy at the Rites of Imperial Funeral for the Emperor Showa on February 24, 1989, attended by funeral envoys such as heads of state or government and royalty from 164 countries around the world. The new Emperor and Empress, who are the current Emperor and Empress Emeritus, received all the envoys in meetings with heads of state and in audiences with royal guests other than heads of state, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers, etc. before and after the “Rites of Imperial Funeral”.
The late Mr. Ryohei Murata, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs then, who oversaw the event on the spot wrote in his book “Retrospective: Japan’s Diplomacy”, “ some of the representatives of nations stated that they felt profound deference to Their Majesties’ regal demeanor at the rites, specifically, remaining standing resolutely with umbrellas in their hands in the rain. Many of them expressed their sincerest appreciation for Their Majesties’ making their time equally to talk to all the funeral envoys without discriminating any country”.
“Consolation to departed souls” and “reconciliation” resonated like basso continuo in Heisei’s imperial diplomacy. By chance, funeral diplomacy was how it started, but it was indicative of what was to follow.
International goodwill will remain unchanged as the basis for imperial diplomacy in the Reiwa Era. However, it is natural that the imperial diplomacy by the new Emperor and Empress, who belong to the postwar generation, would be different from the one of Heisei. I think “cosmopolitan outlook” and “universal values” are likely to be the keywords.
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress spent a part of their life before marriage in the UK. International relations tend to be regarded in Japan from an East-West perspective, but when you live in Europe, you will acquire in addition a North-South perspective, including Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. This is because of the historical, and political/economical relations between Europe and these regions, and we should bear in mind that their Majesties have developed an eye to look at the world globally.
Furthermore, their Majesties were in their 20s and 30s from the mid-80s to the end of the 20th century when the Cold War eased off, “The Berlin Wall” collapsed and the world became globalized. Human rights and democracy became universal values, and a concept of global governance was born, where various players such as nation states, the United Nations, and Non-Governmental Organizations tackle the global problems in concert. Their Majesties fully breathed this air of cooperation and integration.
It is important that Their Majesties are sensitive to the cosmopolitan way of thinking and universal values when thinking about their role as the heir of traditional culture of the imperial household. This is because we feel that imperial diplomacy can deliver messages of “multi-cultural coexistence amid universalism” and “parallel pursuit of universal values and traditional culture”. This can also be what Japan aims for in the world.
The writer is Contributing Editor for the Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper.
The start of Heisei’s imperial diplomacy was funeral diplomacy at the Rites of Imperial Funeral for the Emperor Showa on February 24, 1989, attended by funeral envoys such as heads of state or government and royalty from 164 countries around the world. The new Emperor and Empress, who are the current Emperor and Empress Emeritus, received all the envoys in meetings with heads of state and in audiences with royal guests other than heads of state, Vice Presidents and Prime Ministers, etc. before and after the “Rites of Imperial Funeral”.
The late Mr. Ryohei Murata, the Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs then, who oversaw the event on the spot wrote in his book “Retrospective: Japan’s Diplomacy”, “ some of the representatives of nations stated that they felt profound deference to Their Majesties’ regal demeanor at the rites, specifically, remaining standing resolutely with umbrellas in their hands in the rain. Many of them expressed their sincerest appreciation for Their Majesties’ making their time equally to talk to all the funeral envoys without discriminating any country”.
“Consolation to departed souls” and “reconciliation” resonated like basso continuo in Heisei’s imperial diplomacy. By chance, funeral diplomacy was how it started, but it was indicative of what was to follow.
International goodwill will remain unchanged as the basis for imperial diplomacy in the Reiwa Era. However, it is natural that the imperial diplomacy by the new Emperor and Empress, who belong to the postwar generation, would be different from the one of Heisei. I think “cosmopolitan outlook” and “universal values” are likely to be the keywords.
Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress spent a part of their life before marriage in the UK. International relations tend to be regarded in Japan from an East-West perspective, but when you live in Europe, you will acquire in addition a North-South perspective, including Africa, the Middle East and Central and South America. This is because of the historical, and political/economical relations between Europe and these regions, and we should bear in mind that their Majesties have developed an eye to look at the world globally.
Furthermore, their Majesties were in their 20s and 30s from the mid-80s to the end of the 20th century when the Cold War eased off, “The Berlin Wall” collapsed and the world became globalized. Human rights and democracy became universal values, and a concept of global governance was born, where various players such as nation states, the United Nations, and Non-Governmental Organizations tackle the global problems in concert. Their Majesties fully breathed this air of cooperation and integration.
It is important that Their Majesties are sensitive to the cosmopolitan way of thinking and universal values when thinking about their role as the heir of traditional culture of the imperial household. This is because we feel that imperial diplomacy can deliver messages of “multi-cultural coexistence amid universalism” and “parallel pursuit of universal values and traditional culture”. This can also be what Japan aims for in the world.
The writer is Contributing Editor for the Mainichi Shimbun Newspaper.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
令和の皇室外交を読み解く
西川 恵 / ジャーナリスト
2019年 7月 11日
トランプ米大統領夫妻が国賓で来日し、令和の皇室外交がスタートした。令和と平成の皇室外交はスタートからして大きく異なる。
平成の皇室外交は１９８９年２月２４日、昭和天皇の「大喪の礼」での弔問外交でスタートした。世界１６４カ国の元首、王族、首脳級の弔問使節が参列。現在の上皇、上皇后である新天皇、皇后は「大喪の礼」の前後に、すべての使節とご会見（外国元首との会談）とご引見（元首以外の王族、副大統領・首相等の使節と会うこと）を行った。
外務次官として現場を指揮した故村田良平氏は「各国代表の中には、両陛下の式場での堂々たるお振舞い、特に雨中自ら傘をさしながら毅然（きぜん）として起立しておられたことに深い敬意を覚えたと述べると共に、いかなる国をも差別することなく全弔問使節にお声をかけるための時間を割いてくださったことに衷心より感謝していると述べる者が少なくなかった」と、その著書「回顧する日本外交」で書いている。
平成の皇室外交には「慰霊」と「和解」が通奏低音のように響いていたが、その始まりが弔問外交だったことは、偶然とはいえ暗示的である。
令和の皇室外交も国際親善の基本は変わらない。しかし戦後世代の新天皇、皇后によって担われる皇室外交は、平成の時とは違ったものになって当然である。私は「国際感覚」と「普遍的価値」がキーワードになると考えている。
両陛下は独身時代、英国で暮らした。日本では国際関係を東西の視点で見がちだが、欧州に暮らすと東西と共に、アフリカ、中東、中南米など南北の視点も育つ。欧州とこれらの地域の歴史的、政治・経済的関係からだが、両陛下がグローバルに世界を見る目を養われたことは知っておいていい。
また両陛下は冷戦が緩み、「ベルリンの壁」が崩壊して世界がグローバル化していく８０年代半ばから２０世紀末までの時期、２０～３０代だった。人権や民主主義が普遍的価値となり、国、国連、ＮＧＯ（非政府組織）など多様な主体が協働して地球規模の問題に取り組むグローバル・ガバナンスという概念が生まれた、この協力と融和の空気を胸いっぱい吸われた。
皇室の伝統文化の継承者という両陛下の役割を考えた時、国際感覚と普遍的価値に敏感なことは重要である。「普遍主義の中の多文化共生」「普遍的価値と伝統文化の両立」とのメッセージを皇室外交は発信していけると感じるからだ。それは世界における日本の立ち位置ともなる。
筆者は毎日新聞社客員編集委員
平成の皇室外交は１９８９年２月２４日、昭和天皇の「大喪の礼」での弔問外交でスタートした。世界１６４カ国の元首、王族、首脳級の弔問使節が参列。現在の上皇、上皇后である新天皇、皇后は「大喪の礼」の前後に、すべての使節とご会見（外国元首との会談）とご引見（元首以外の王族、副大統領・首相等の使節と会うこと）を行った。
外務次官として現場を指揮した故村田良平氏は「各国代表の中には、両陛下の式場での堂々たるお振舞い、特に雨中自ら傘をさしながら毅然（きぜん）として起立しておられたことに深い敬意を覚えたと述べると共に、いかなる国をも差別することなく全弔問使節にお声をかけるための時間を割いてくださったことに衷心より感謝していると述べる者が少なくなかった」と、その著書「回顧する日本外交」で書いている。
平成の皇室外交には「慰霊」と「和解」が通奏低音のように響いていたが、その始まりが弔問外交だったことは、偶然とはいえ暗示的である。
令和の皇室外交も国際親善の基本は変わらない。しかし戦後世代の新天皇、皇后によって担われる皇室外交は、平成の時とは違ったものになって当然である。私は「国際感覚」と「普遍的価値」がキーワードになると考えている。
両陛下は独身時代、英国で暮らした。日本では国際関係を東西の視点で見がちだが、欧州に暮らすと東西と共に、アフリカ、中東、中南米など南北の視点も育つ。欧州とこれらの地域の歴史的、政治・経済的関係からだが、両陛下がグローバルに世界を見る目を養われたことは知っておいていい。
また両陛下は冷戦が緩み、「ベルリンの壁」が崩壊して世界がグローバル化していく８０年代半ばから２０世紀末までの時期、２０～３０代だった。人権や民主主義が普遍的価値となり、国、国連、ＮＧＯ（非政府組織）など多様な主体が協働して地球規模の問題に取り組むグローバル・ガバナンスという概念が生まれた、この協力と融和の空気を胸いっぱい吸われた。
皇室の伝統文化の継承者という両陛下の役割を考えた時、国際感覚と普遍的価値に敏感なことは重要である。「普遍主義の中の多文化共生」「普遍的価値と伝統文化の両立」とのメッセージを皇室外交は発信していけると感じるからだ。それは世界における日本の立ち位置ともなる。
筆者は毎日新聞社客員編集委員
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟