A Lax Japan Spoiled Defendant Ghosn
CHINO Keiko / Journalist
March 10, 2020
The escape of the defendant and Nissan’s ex-boss Carlos Ghosn was such a frustrating affair. After all, the man who’d received the accolade of ‘The Savior of Nissan’ actually appears to be full of self-protection, self-interest and arrogance.
In the wake of this event, I realised again the weakness of Japan. Spoiled by Japanese indulgence and feeling so full of himself, the fugitive took a parting shot. Of course, he deserves a lot of criticism but Japan should also be blamed for allowing him to do what he has done. This adds to my frustration.
Representing the weak Japan is the justice system. Meng Wanzhou, the Deputy Chairwoman of China’s Huawei was detained in Canada and forced to wear a GPS ankle bracelet. This is astoundingly different from the Japanese courts that didn’t force him to wear one, something which is now standard in the West. What’s more, they allowed Ghosn to retain his passport under the condition that he store it in a lockbox. This is laughable. If judges seriously believed that he would not break the lock, they are so detached from reality.
Foreign residents in Japan have to carry their passport, but this can be solved by the issuance of an alternative identification. With Ghosn, a special arrangement in which the strength of his name and face can work as an identification paper maybe possible as well.
In terms of the lawyers who failed to oversee the defendant, I cannot help but suspect their willful negligence rather than their softness on him.
The decision on the amount of 1.5 billion yen for bail was too lenient as well. It is said that the prosecutors demanded 10 billion yen. Even with a 10 billion-yen bail, he may still have escaped, but considering that bail becomes national revenue when forfeit, 1.5 billion yen and 10 billion yen make a big difference.
Having condoned the smuggling out of Ghosn, Kansai International Airport is careless enough, but the bigger problem here is that the airport is not the only one that has been lax.
The worst is that no one apologizes or takes responsibility after all these mistakes. Further, no one seems to question it, either. In a manner of speaking, for everyone, this is someone else’s problem. The media also have become apathetic.
Having said that, it is no use crying over spilt milk and I should stop lamenting. It should be time that Japan became more relentless in retaliating.
First Japan should thoroughly identify Ghosn’s selfish argument, inaccuracies and contradictions in his self-justification, and seek to communicate them abroad via selected overseas media. Bilingual broadcasting in English and Arabic on Al Jazeera which is the leading channel in the Middle East where Ghosn has fled, can be one such choice.
It’s been pointed out that Japan is lagging behind in information dissemination and strategic communication abroad. Hopefully, the Ghosn case will be an opportunity for Japan to test its mettle.
To fight fire with fire, it may be worth considering creating an animation, which is one of Japan’s specialties, with the title ‘Ghosn: The True Story’ before Hollywood makes a movie about him.
Of course, a radical reform of the judicial system should be initiated on this occasion for Japan itself, not for other countries. There are quite a few Japanese people who think this is necessary.
Not limited to the case of Ghosn’s escape it is the characteristic of Japan, the softhearted nation that it is actually full of holes, while it looks strict about everything at first glance. It’s said that there’s no exact translation for the Japanese word amaeru (taking the softness of others for granted) in any other language. This has been established over a long period of time in the Japanese culture and history, and therefore, this cannot be changed overnight. Moreover, softness also has a positive aspect. In one way, softness has helped form a kind and considerate society here. However, Japan should be fully aware that there is a risk of its softness becoming a weakness, as people with different sets of values coexist while people, goods and money move freely around the word today.
In cooking, a pinch of salt is often used to accentuate sweetness. What this softhearted nation needs is to take a stern response which would make Ghosn regret having dismissed Japan as being powerless.
Chino Keiko is a freelance journalist and Guest Columnist of the Sankei Shimbun.
In the wake of this event, I realised again the weakness of Japan. Spoiled by Japanese indulgence and feeling so full of himself, the fugitive took a parting shot. Of course, he deserves a lot of criticism but Japan should also be blamed for allowing him to do what he has done. This adds to my frustration.
Representing the weak Japan is the justice system. Meng Wanzhou, the Deputy Chairwoman of China’s Huawei was detained in Canada and forced to wear a GPS ankle bracelet. This is astoundingly different from the Japanese courts that didn’t force him to wear one, something which is now standard in the West. What’s more, they allowed Ghosn to retain his passport under the condition that he store it in a lockbox. This is laughable. If judges seriously believed that he would not break the lock, they are so detached from reality.
Foreign residents in Japan have to carry their passport, but this can be solved by the issuance of an alternative identification. With Ghosn, a special arrangement in which the strength of his name and face can work as an identification paper maybe possible as well.
In terms of the lawyers who failed to oversee the defendant, I cannot help but suspect their willful negligence rather than their softness on him.
The decision on the amount of 1.5 billion yen for bail was too lenient as well. It is said that the prosecutors demanded 10 billion yen. Even with a 10 billion-yen bail, he may still have escaped, but considering that bail becomes national revenue when forfeit, 1.5 billion yen and 10 billion yen make a big difference.
Having condoned the smuggling out of Ghosn, Kansai International Airport is careless enough, but the bigger problem here is that the airport is not the only one that has been lax.
The worst is that no one apologizes or takes responsibility after all these mistakes. Further, no one seems to question it, either. In a manner of speaking, for everyone, this is someone else’s problem. The media also have become apathetic.
Having said that, it is no use crying over spilt milk and I should stop lamenting. It should be time that Japan became more relentless in retaliating.
First Japan should thoroughly identify Ghosn’s selfish argument, inaccuracies and contradictions in his self-justification, and seek to communicate them abroad via selected overseas media. Bilingual broadcasting in English and Arabic on Al Jazeera which is the leading channel in the Middle East where Ghosn has fled, can be one such choice.
It’s been pointed out that Japan is lagging behind in information dissemination and strategic communication abroad. Hopefully, the Ghosn case will be an opportunity for Japan to test its mettle.
To fight fire with fire, it may be worth considering creating an animation, which is one of Japan’s specialties, with the title ‘Ghosn: The True Story’ before Hollywood makes a movie about him.
Of course, a radical reform of the judicial system should be initiated on this occasion for Japan itself, not for other countries. There are quite a few Japanese people who think this is necessary.
Not limited to the case of Ghosn’s escape it is the characteristic of Japan, the softhearted nation that it is actually full of holes, while it looks strict about everything at first glance. It’s said that there’s no exact translation for the Japanese word amaeru (taking the softness of others for granted) in any other language. This has been established over a long period of time in the Japanese culture and history, and therefore, this cannot be changed overnight. Moreover, softness also has a positive aspect. In one way, softness has helped form a kind and considerate society here. However, Japan should be fully aware that there is a risk of its softness becoming a weakness, as people with different sets of values coexist while people, goods and money move freely around the word today.
In cooking, a pinch of salt is often used to accentuate sweetness. What this softhearted nation needs is to take a stern response which would make Ghosn regret having dismissed Japan as being powerless.
Chino Keiko is a freelance journalist and Guest Columnist of the Sankei Shimbun.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
ゴーン被告を甘やかせた「甘い国・日本」
千野 境子 / ジャーナリスト
2020年 3月 10日
日産自動車前会長、カルロス・ゴーン被告の逃亡は、何とも忌々しい事件だった。何しろ一時は日産の救世主のように称賛された男が、実は自己保身と私欲と傲慢の塊だったのだ。
改めて思ったことは日本という国の甘さである。日本に甘やかされ、増長した挙句に後足で砂をかけて立ち去った。彼も彼だが、それを許した日本も日本。だからなおさら忌々しい。
「甘い国」の筆頭は裁判所だ。カナダで拘束された中国・華為技術（ファーウェイ）副会長の孟晩舟被告のように、欧米では今や常識のGPS（衛星利用測位システム）を装着させず、それでいながらパスポートの所持を鍵付きケースの条件で許可していたのだから笑ってしまう。被告が鍵を壊さないと、裁判官が本気で思っていたとしたら、相当浮世離れしている。
在日外国人はパスポート携行が義務というのだが、代替証明書を発行すれば済む話だし、ゴーン被告なら顔がパスポートの特例もありだ。
被告の監督に瑕疵があった弁護団は、甘いというより、「未必の故意」を疑いたくなる。
保釈金額15億円の判断も甘かった。検察は100億円を提示したと言われる。それでも逃亡したかもしれないが、没収した保釈金は国庫に入るので、15億と100億では大違いだ。
ゴーン被告の密出国を見逃した関西空港も大甘だが、大甘なのは関空だけではないのがさらに問題だ。
そして極め付きは、これだけの失策を重ねながら、誰も謝らなければ、責任も取らない。さらにはそれが問題にならないことだ。言ってみれば、みんな他人ごとなのである。メディアも甘くなりました。
とは言え覆水盆に返らず。慨嘆はこの辺にしよう。日本は一矢を報いるべく、攻勢に転じる時ではないだろうか。
まずはゴーン被告の手前勝手な主張や自己正当化の間違い、矛盾を徹底的に洗い出し、逃亡先の中東の有力メディア「アルジャジーラ」の英語・アラビア両語放送など、海外のメディアを選んで発信に努める。
日本の情報発信と情報戦略の立ち遅れはかねてから指摘されてきた。ゴーン被告のケースを試金石にしたい。
毒には毒を。ハリウッド映画に先んじて、ゴーンのtrue storyとでも銘打って日本ならではのアニメ制作も一考に値する。
もちろんこの際、司法の抜本的改革にも着手する。外国のためではなく、日本のため。それが必要だと考える日本人は実は少なくない。
ゴーン被告の逃亡事件に限らず、何事も一見厳しそうに見えて実は抜け穴だらけ、というのが「甘い国・日本」の特徴である。「甘える」に相当する言葉が他の言語にはないという。従って、それは日本の風土と歴史の中で時間をかけて出来上がったものでもあるから、一朝には改まらないし、必ずしも負の側面だけではない。「甘さ」は一面では優しい、思いやりの社会を形成して来た。ただヒト、モノ、カネが世界を自由に行き交い、異なる価値観の人間が共生する今日、「甘さ」が弱点となるリスクをもっと自覚すべきなのだ。
料理では甘みを引き立たせるのに塩が欠かせない。「甘い国・日本」に今必要なのも、「日本は何も出来っこない」とたかを括るゴーン被告が後悔するような厳しい対応である。
筆者はフリーランスジャーナリスト、産経新聞客員論説委員
改めて思ったことは日本という国の甘さである。日本に甘やかされ、増長した挙句に後足で砂をかけて立ち去った。彼も彼だが、それを許した日本も日本。だからなおさら忌々しい。
「甘い国」の筆頭は裁判所だ。カナダで拘束された中国・華為技術（ファーウェイ）副会長の孟晩舟被告のように、欧米では今や常識のGPS（衛星利用測位システム）を装着させず、それでいながらパスポートの所持を鍵付きケースの条件で許可していたのだから笑ってしまう。被告が鍵を壊さないと、裁判官が本気で思っていたとしたら、相当浮世離れしている。
在日外国人はパスポート携行が義務というのだが、代替証明書を発行すれば済む話だし、ゴーン被告なら顔がパスポートの特例もありだ。
被告の監督に瑕疵があった弁護団は、甘いというより、「未必の故意」を疑いたくなる。
保釈金額15億円の判断も甘かった。検察は100億円を提示したと言われる。それでも逃亡したかもしれないが、没収した保釈金は国庫に入るので、15億と100億では大違いだ。
ゴーン被告の密出国を見逃した関西空港も大甘だが、大甘なのは関空だけではないのがさらに問題だ。
そして極め付きは、これだけの失策を重ねながら、誰も謝らなければ、責任も取らない。さらにはそれが問題にならないことだ。言ってみれば、みんな他人ごとなのである。メディアも甘くなりました。
とは言え覆水盆に返らず。慨嘆はこの辺にしよう。日本は一矢を報いるべく、攻勢に転じる時ではないだろうか。
まずはゴーン被告の手前勝手な主張や自己正当化の間違い、矛盾を徹底的に洗い出し、逃亡先の中東の有力メディア「アルジャジーラ」の英語・アラビア両語放送など、海外のメディアを選んで発信に努める。
日本の情報発信と情報戦略の立ち遅れはかねてから指摘されてきた。ゴーン被告のケースを試金石にしたい。
毒には毒を。ハリウッド映画に先んじて、ゴーンのtrue storyとでも銘打って日本ならではのアニメ制作も一考に値する。
もちろんこの際、司法の抜本的改革にも着手する。外国のためではなく、日本のため。それが必要だと考える日本人は実は少なくない。
ゴーン被告の逃亡事件に限らず、何事も一見厳しそうに見えて実は抜け穴だらけ、というのが「甘い国・日本」の特徴である。「甘える」に相当する言葉が他の言語にはないという。従って、それは日本の風土と歴史の中で時間をかけて出来上がったものでもあるから、一朝には改まらないし、必ずしも負の側面だけではない。「甘さ」は一面では優しい、思いやりの社会を形成して来た。ただヒト、モノ、カネが世界を自由に行き交い、異なる価値観の人間が共生する今日、「甘さ」が弱点となるリスクをもっと自覚すべきなのだ。
料理では甘みを引き立たせるのに塩が欠かせない。「甘い国・日本」に今必要なのも、「日本は何も出来っこない」とたかを括るゴーン被告が後悔するような厳しい対応である。
筆者はフリーランスジャーナリスト、産経新聞客員論説委員
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟