Transcript
MASAHIRO MATSUMURA: At this juncture, I would like to pick up one of the most frequently discussed topics about Japan, one that is almost entirely discussed by non-Japanese scholars, analysts and professionals. This topic is the so-called history debate and prospects for Japan's foreign policy.
This topic is particularly relevant because Japan now has a new prime minister, Mr. Shinzo Abe, who has a chance to improve relations with China and South Korea after a protracted standstill under the Koizumi administration. Also, a Japanese perspective is essential for balancing out the currently lopsided discourse, both in factual and analytical aspects, with focus on Koizumi's allegedly "irrational" obsession with his continued official visits to the Yasukuni Shrine. Certainly, Chinese and Korean official protestations against Koizumi in this regard constituted a clear-cut intervention to Japan's internal affairs, at least from the perspective of the broad Japanese general public, while Koizumi's stubbornness offended and even provoked many Chinese and Koreans. Yet, this level of analysis will not lead to a good comprehension of the regional dynamics at work.
It seems to me, there are two kinds of history questions. The first is one that historians study, and the second is one that political scientists deal with. Eventually, I believe, these two get to make an integral whole, but, for analytical purposes, these two have to be differentiated in today's presentation.
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