24-5 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0031
Tel: 03-5456-8082 Fax: 03-5456-8388
Mail: info@japancivilization.org
http://www.japancivilization.org/

Newsletter Vol. 1 Autumn 2015

Prospectus of Japanese Civilization InstituteJapan has come to form a civilization of its own kind, inthe realm of history, religion and culture.
In his book “The Clash of Civilizations,” professor SamuelHuntington places Japanese civilization in a new position,
apart from Chinese civilization.
Our foundation aims to research the following fivemutually related categories that are not recognized by theJapanese people to be their identity and personality. Our
goal is to study Japanese civilization and pass it down topeople in and outside Japan, by actively communicating
what we have learnt.
<The field of Ideology, Philosophy and Ethics> Japanese
ideology, “yamato-gokoro (spirit of early Japan)” and spiritof “wa (harmony)”<The field of Economy and Management> “shinise (longestablished organizations)< The field of Industrial Art, and Technology> Art,handicrafts, fashion, pop culture, architecture andtechnology<The f ield of Medicine> Chinese medicine, Japanese
food, and healthy food that prevents sickness<Overall> Politics and Religion
Our goal is to contribute to peace and continuous
development of Japan and the outside world, throughdeep research and activities for creating awareness.

Kimiko Tsuzuki

Chairperson,
Chancellor of Tsuzuki Educational Institution Group

Message from Director
Looking at world history, it is said that Europe is the only
one that was able to create a model of modernization.
However, apart from Europe, Japan is the only
country that went through the process of creating amodernization of its own kind—that rivals well with thatof Europe—and became a advanced country.
Japan has been regarded as islands of disaster, sufferingfrom numerous floods, eruptions, earthquakes andtsunami. But blessed with pure water not to mention
the glorious four seasons, and peoples’ nature being
moderate, imaginative, original and hardworking, Japan
has come to develop a civilization of its own kind.

Amid the globalization of the economy andcommunication amongst people, Japan and its people
today need to think deeply as to what they believe in. A
tolerant mind to accept other civilizations only begins byunderstanding their own.
The role of Japan in international society is bound to
become increasingly important. Japanese Civilization
Institute is founded here as a place for capable people
working together to tackle these kinds of issues.

Naoki Inose
Director

Acknowledgements from Overseas
Commemorate the Founding of Japanese Civilization Institute“On the occasion of the establishment of Japanese Civilization Institute and its inaugural symposium, the Master and Fellows ofFitzwilliam College Cambridge send warmest congratulations. We have high expectations that with world-class scholars thiscenter can become a world leader in the unique and innovative field of research into Japanese identity.
As your friend of many years, we look forward to this being an opportunity to further scholarly ties between our two institutions.”−Nicola Padfield, Master, Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge University“On behalf of St. Anne’s College Oxford I would like to extend our sincere congratulations on the establishment of Japanese
Civilization Institute and its inaugural symposium. This center will without doubt provide knowledge and inspiration to scholarsof Japan around the world and contribute not just to international understanding but also to giving the people of Japan arenewed pride and love for their own society and culture. We hope that this research center will be a success for the scholars
who work in it, and contribute to the further development of the Tsuzuki Gakuen Group. ”−Tim Gardam, Principal, St. Anne’s College, Oxford University

About the groupJapanese Civilization InstituteEstablished in August 2015

Address: 24-5 Sakuragaoka-cho, Shibuya-ku, Tokyo 150-0031
Tel :03-5456-8082 Fax:03-5456-8388
Website: http://www.japancivilization.org/

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Symposium commemorating the founding of Japanese Civilization Institute

The Characteristics ofJapanese Civilization
after 70 years from WWII

stores overseas including New York,Singapore, Bangkok, Malaysia, Sydney, and Dubai. I hope I can assist
the chancellor’s proposal to pass on
more about Japan to the outside
world and thereby spread Japanese
civilization to the world. Thank you
so much for having me here today.

Soichiro Tahara vs. Naoki Inose vs. Toshio Goto
On 28th August, 2015, a symposium commemorating the establishment of Japanese Civilization Institute washeld at Japan University of Economics in Shibuya, Tokyo. Panelists attending the symposium—journalist Soichiro
Tahara, writer and director of the Institute Naoki Inose and professor at Japan University of Economics Toshio
Goto—discussed their views under the theme.
The following is the content of their discussion (The three-way conversation is a reprint of “Shukan Dokushojin”<published on 25th September, 2015>)

MC: Thank you for making thetime to attend this symposiumcommemorating the founding ofJapanese Civilization Institute. I’m
Kayoko Ikushima, and I will serve as
MC for this event. Today, we havethree panelists discussing various issues. Before we begin, we would liketo have a few words from chairperson of Japanese Civilization Institute and also Chancellor of Tsuzuki
Educational Institution Group, Ms.
Kimiko Tsuzuki.
Tsuzuki: Good evening, everyone.
We’re slowly feeling a little bit of autumn amid the late summer heat. I
sincerely appreciate the many people
who turned up today to experience
this symposium commemorating
the founding of Japanese Civilization Institute.
Japanese Civilization Institute wasestablished with Mr. Naoki Inose as
director and professor Toshio Gotoof our university as executive director. Today we welcome Mr. Soichiro
Tahara as our guest for this event,
held to commemorate its establishment.
During the 70 years after WWII,
there were times when countries
abroad saw “Japan as No.1,” resulting in Japan to experiencing various
forms of “Japan bashing.” However,after the bubble burst, Japan has
been referred to in various ways like
“Japan passing” or even “Japan noth-2

ing,” from countries outside Japan.
But now, having overcome the
Tohoku Earthquake and Tsunami
of 2011, once again we hear voices
praising Japan. Tsuzuki Educational
Institution Group spread across thecountry, takes in the highest numberof foreign students. These students
are studying hard, eager to learn andknow more about Japan.
In recent years, our group has had
the opportunity to communicate
with renowned universities of theworld including Oxford, Cambridgeand Harvard, during which we havereceived various questions and opinions about Japan. Having seen our
miraculous effort to reconstruct after the earthquake, it is quite oftenthat we receive the question, “Whatkind of education do Japanese people receive?” But we have cometo realize that there were so manythings that we had yet to acknowledge to answer this question, that weweren’t able to give a prompt reply.
I thoroughly believe that the key toanswering this kind of question liesin understanding the tradition andhistory of Japan. Borrowing words
from American political scientist
and professor Samuel Huntington, Japan was never the extensionof Chinese civilization, but rather
created a civilization of its own. In
that sense, I find it important that
we reveal the true picture of Japanese
civilization through this Institution,

Kimiko Tsuzuki

and transmit what potential thiscountry holds in contributing to theworld as a whole, not only to Japanbut also to the global society outside
Japan and toward the future. Today
marks the very beginning of our research. I am proud to announce thestart of a new program with everyone here today. Please stay with us
until the very end.
MC: Thank you very much. Next,
we would like to have a speech fromone of our visitors. Mr. Masashi
Takai, president of Kinokuniya
Book Stores.
Takai: Hello, I’m Takai of Kinokuniya Book Stores. I’m expected to givea congratulatory speech, but I also
serve as one of the board members
for Japanese Civilization Institute, so
I have the responsibility to make thisInstitute a reliable one. Kinokuniya

Masashi Takai, Kinokuniya Books StoresBook Stores has had a long business
relationship with Tsuzuki Educational Institution Group, which I
really appreciate. Chancellor Tsuzuki has supported us over the years
and I personally admire her passion,
management power, and leadershiptoward education from the bottomof my heart. I’ve been hearing about
the idea of this Institute for sometime now, but having this kind of
grand ceremonial event in such ashort amount of time, with attendants like Mr. Tahara, Mr. Inose and
Mr. Goto, can only be possible with
Ms. Tsuzuki’s leadership.
I myself also serve as a board
member for Yokohama Universityof Pharmacy belonging to the Tsuzuki Educational Institution Group.
This year, the university had thehighest number of students taking
the entrance exams. The numberof students has risen to 178% compared to the previous year, making
it no doubt one of the most popular
schools in Japan. A growth of 120130% followed in second place,but other schools didn’t even reach
100%. This is all due to the chancellor’s ability as a leader. Moreover,while Mr. Reona Esaki serves aspresident of Yokohama University of
Pharmacy, I hear that Mr. Naoki Inose is to take on the role of director
on this occasion, which encourages
me to commit myself too.
Kinokuniya Book Stores has 66
large scale bookstores, and 27 branch

MC: Thank you very much Mr. Takai.
Next, we would like to have a speechfrom Mr. Takatoshi Shimizu, president of PHP Institute. Mr. Shimizu,
please step forward. Thank you.
Shimizu: I’m Shimizu of PHP Institute. I got a phone call yesterday,
inviting me to come here today, so I
did. But now they want me to give
you a speech, but I didn’t have a clue
as to what to say. So I’ve written
something down, which I would liketo read today.
First of all, I’m sure many of you
are wondering why the presidentof PHP Institute is present today.
I was invited here because I heardthat over the years, that there has
been a strong relationship between
our founder Konosuke Matsushita
and Tsuzuki Educational Institution Group. The bond between us iswhat brings me here today.
If I may, I would like to talk a little bit about Konosuke Matsushita.
It was in 1947—approximately 70
years from now—that Matsushitafounded PHP Institute. By the way,
“PHP” stands for “Peace and Happiness through Prosperity.” Just after
WWII, Matsushita thought he had
to do something to change the country. He founded the Institute gathering intellectual people as much as hecould, with the aim of reconstructing
a better society. I think Matsushita’s
intentions are more or less the sameas what Ms. Tsuzuki just mentioned
about Japanese Civilization Instituteand where it is heading. Reading theprospectus of establishing this Institute I really think so.
Given such an opportunity, I won-

Takatoshi Shimizu, PHP institutedered yesterday what Matsushita
would have said if he were alive today. There’s a book he wrote called“Michi-wo-hiraku (Opening theWay)” in which he wrote a section
entitled “Nihon Yoi Kuni (Japan,
Fine Country).” I would like to readthis and make it my speech.
“Nihon Yoi Kuni (Japan, Fine Country)”
Konosuke Matsushita“Flowers are scattering, young leaves
are growing. Vivid green hills andstrikingly blue sky spreads across miles.
Dressed in light clothes, a balmy
breeze comfortably blows by. Happy
voices of sweet children and flappingof swimming carp streamers (put up tocelebrate Children’s Day) can be heard.
It’s May, early summer. Once more
the season brings Japan’s vigorous nature to its full.
There’s spring, then there’s summer.
There’s autumn and there’s winter.
Japan is a fine country. Not just thenature. Not just the natural features.
There are numerous spiritual legacies cultivated during its long history.
Moreover, there’s the gifted superb nature of the Japanese people, who are
hard working and sincere.
Japan is a fine country. Such a finecountry is rarely to be found in theworld. Therefore, we should make thiscountry even better, and live friendly together with fulfilling bodies andminds.
Even if there’s good, if people do not3notice it, it’s close to not having it atall.
We should take another look at thegood side of this country. And mutually take pride again in being Japanese.
Let’s reconsider.”Matsushita left such kinds ofwords. With Ms. Tsuzuki as chairperson and Mr. Inose as director, I
hope the two can gather intellectuals
and highly educated people to guide
Japanese Civilization Institute toward a bright future.
MC: Thank you very much Mr.
Shimizu. Now, we would like to begin the highlight of today; a panel
discussion amongst our panelists.
Let me introduce you to our threepanelists; journalist and critic Mr.
Soichiro Tahara, writer and former
Tokyo governor, Mr. Naoki Inose,and professor at Japan University of
Economics and executive directorof the Institute, Mr. Toshio Goto.
Please begin.

What is Japanese
Civilization?
Inose: What is civilization? In his
book “The Clash of Civilizations,”
international political scientist andprofessor Samuel Huntington—
whose name is included in the Institute’s prospectus—writes thatcivilization today can be divided into eight categories. One is Western
European civilization that founded
modern society. Contrasting thatis Eastern European civilization
relating to the Russian Orthodox
Church. Then there’s Islamic civilization, Hindu civilization centering
around India, African civilizationand Latin American civilization. In
Asia, there’s Chinese civilization.
Korea is included in Chinese civilization. The eighth category is Japanese civilization. Japanese civilization is thought of differently from4

Chinese civilization. Then what exactly is Japanese civilization?
Perception of Japanese identity
is extremely diverse. Two years ago,
when Japan stood as candidate for
hosting the Olympic Games, thecountry tried as best it could topromote its good points. However, ever since it has been chosen, its
weak points seemed to have cometo the surface. For example, there’s
the trouble we had with the new
National Stadium. The construction
cost is now 155 billion yen; however, is removing 100 billion yen fromthe previous cost of 250 billion yen
and trying to sound coherent simply
enough? On July 17 Prime Minister
Shinzo Abe scrapped the government’s original construction plans
for the new stadium. But if this issue had continued longer, the newstadium may not have been constructed in time for the 2020 Tokyo
Olympics. This kind of indecisive
attitude is of nothing new. Looking
back at 1945, even when the atomic
bombs were dropped on Hiroshima
on 6th August and on Nagasaki on
9th August, and even when the Soviet Union entered the war against
Japan ignoring the Soviet-Japanese
Neutrality Pact, the Imperial Council still couldn’t accept the Potsdam
Declaration. It was only after debating around in circles, that they were
finally able to accept, on the nightof the 14th and end the war on the

Naoki Inose

15th. If the war had extended longer,
perhaps Japan might have suffereda third atomic bomb and Hokkaido would have become the People’s
Republic of Hokkaido. Japan today,
like back then, still has its faults of
not being able to make decisions.
And now, 70 years after that war,
we’re debating about security bills
and collective self-defense without
thoroughly reviewing and analyzing what that war meant to Japan.
First, we would like to hear from Mr.
Tahara about these kinds of issues
Japan is facing today.
Tahara: I’m currently hosting a TV
program called “Gekiron! Cross Fire(Heated discussion! Cross Fire)” broad­cast every Saturday from 10 a.m.
on BS Asahi, and just yesterday
we recorded the show that was tobroadcast the following morning.
From Liberal Democratic Party attended former Self Defense Force
officer Masahisa Sato—known as“hige (Captain beard)”—, from the
Democratic Party attended Tetsuro
Fukuyama, and from the Japan Innovation Party attended Jiro Ono.
All being members of the Houseof Councilors, they are also central
members to the issue of revising thesecurity bills. I asked the three what
they thought about the security bills,
but the debate headed nowhere. It’s
because even with terms like “security” and “deterrent,” all three ofthem had completely different understandings.
Japan has not fully contemplated
about national security during the
70 years after the war. They thought
the state of not thinking about it
was peace. Therefore there are nocommon grounds to discuss about
specific circumstances if we were torevise the security bill, or how Japan
should respond if a war should happen or what we can do for logistical support and what risk it would
bring.
Even when we talk about Japanese

Soichiro Tahara, journalist

civilization today, Japanese people
don’t have a common understanding. We have to start by thinking
about how we’re going to deal withthe world’s recognition of Japan,
which has become so scattered anddispersed.
Inose: I think postwar Japan is like
Disneyland. There is no reality. The
Americans are the gatekeepers andOkinawa is the only one outside
Disneyland. Having lived peacefully and safely inside Disneyland,
we Japanese have stopped thinking
about our identity. I think we needto look at ourselves again today.
Next, we would like to hear somegood points about Japan from Mr.
Goto. His study revolves around“shinise (long-established organizations)” and has published the book
“Rules of Companies that Last 100
years, over Three Generations.” Japan
seems to be prominent for its longrunning companies. Perhaps Mr.
Goto can tell us why.
Goto: In Japan, there are over
25,000 companies that have a history of more than 100 years. In second
place is America, which has half.
Germany comes in third place, followed by England, Switzerland, Italy,
France and Austria. But because theconditions of geography and GDP
differ according to the country, it’s
impossible to judge only by compa-

ny numbers, so we calculated relative values divided by GDP. While
America dropped to 17th place, Japan still remained top. Whether its
absolute value or relative value, thepercentage of long running companies in Japan is extremely high. But
why does Japan have so many longrunning companies? One reason is
because modern management has
advanced since the Edo Period. Another external reason is due to themarket, which developed relatively
slowly. Most importantly, Japanesepeople had a strong will to continue
their family business.
Next, I would like to point out
three characteristics of Japanese civilization seen from the point of viewof long running companies. One is
the spirit of “wa (harmony).” Next
is cultural relativism. This means
taking in outside culture, learning
it and adopting it to Japan. Underneath this is the ability to respondflexibility to changes, but I think
Shinto—a polytheistic religion—has
got a lot to do with this. Lastly, we
mustn’t miss out the mentality andwill to improve. Pursuing good quality, while paying attention to details
is not only seen in the craftsmanshipof people who develop technology,
but also in the mentality of people
pursing “do (way)” like Jyu-do and
Sa-do (tea ceremony).

Toshi Goto

The concept of“ko (public)” of Omishonin (merchants)
Inose: The Edo Period developed
a market economy. It was a feudal
society but it was a time when merchant culture developed. Stores like
Echigoya and Matsuzakaya, whichhave become big companies today,
emerged. The population doubled
from about 15 million to 30 million
during the 100 years since the Edo
government began in 1603. It wasa period of high economic growth.
It’s close to when in the Meiji Restoration people were enlightened tobuild a Modern Nation and headed
for “Saka-no-ue-no-Kumo (Clouds
Above the Hill)” as well as the period
post WWII until the bubble burst.
Actually, an ethical style close toOmi-shonin, cultivated itself during
the 150 years of zero economic
growth that followed the high economic growth.
Mr. Tahara is from Hikone, whereOmi-shonin originates. Omi-shonin
had the idea of “Sanpo-yoshi (benefit
for all three sides),” which explainsthat in business, merchants shouldtake into consideration “urite-yoshi(the benefits for the vendor),” “kaiteyoshi (the benefits for the customer)”and “seken yoshi (the benefits for thesociety)” at the same time. I think
this kind of concept of “ko (public)”
is something that is also valid in Japanese economy today. Could you tell
us a little bit about this concept, Mr.
Tahara?
Tahara: Ever since I was a kid, I
hated Omi-shonin. They were severe, greedy and hungry and it wassaid that soil after Omi-shonin trodon, became barren land. However,I reconsidered Omi-shonin when I
entered my 30s. The order of “Sanpo-yoshi” is a little different fromwhat Mr. Inose just described. Fora merchant to get by, benefits areneeded for the customer at the fore-5front. If they win the trust of thecustomers, they win the trust of thesociety. In the end, the benefits are
returned back to you.
If you go to Gokasho, the origins ofOmi-shonin, there are family crests
shaped like “%.” There’s a line in the
middle with two circles aside. It’s asign resembling a “tenbin-bo (polefor carrying luggage),” the sun andthe moon, meaning “working fromdawn to night.” The “tenbin-bo” isthe hardware, while all the rest relieson the brain and body, thereby thesoftware.
There’s another term describing
Omi-shonin, which is “un-don-kon(luck, solidity and perseverance).”
Without luck, you can’t get by insociety. But luck isn’t just good andbad. You have to be “don (solid)”
and try with “kon (perseverance)”
and luck will come its way. That’s
what my grandmother often told me
ever since I was a child.
Konosuke Matsushita said exactly
the same thing. One day, I asked Mr.
Matsushita “What do you see in themen you choose for executives, andpresidents of associated companies?”
He replied “Luck.” When I asked
him whether he knew if a man had
good or bad luck, he said he did.
He said luck is the act of not being pessimistic when encounteringa difficult task, but rather enjoying
it and optimistically work toward
it. Then things begin to favor yourway. That’s luck, he said. Omi-sho-

6

nin and Konosuke Matsushita had
the same spirit, you see.
Goto: The concept of “Sanpo-yoshi”
is being discussed, but probably
Omi-shonin had to be like that inorder to survive. In order to trade
in a foreign land, you have to workwith the local people there and get
accepted. Konosuke Matsushita said,“Companies are public institutionsof society.” I think the spirit of “wa”
leads to making the most of publicbenefits, which is another reason why
there are so many long-establishedcompanies in Japan.
Tahara: Then again, a typical example showing the fault of “wa” would
be the Toshiba Incident. That wascompletely window-dressing.
Goto: Truly. They probably thought
it was best for the organization.
Inose: The word “wa” is easy to use,
but it’s a concept that is difficult to
get pinned down. In Japanese society today, under the principle of“wa,” bad systems in which risks are
dispersed so that individuals don’t
have to take responsibility can beseen, like the case of the recent National Stadium as well as the publicauthorities’ frame of mind. I thinkit’s necessary to analyze the structureof “wa” in order to bring out thegood traditional side of Japan like“omotenashi (hospitality)” and thespirit of respecting others.

An era ofcivilization clash
Goto: In Samuel Huntington’s book
“The Clash of Civilizations and Japanin the 21 Century,” which was published after “The Clash of Civilizations: And the Remaking of World Order”, there is an interesting quote.
It says, it seems like the world is atpeace after the end of the cold war,
but actually that’s a big mistake.
From now on, it’s no longer going
to be a conflict between countries
but instead a clash between civilizations. But civilizations not only
provoke conflict, but they also havethe potential to ease conflict. And
here enters Japanese civilization.
Japanese civilization is truly uniquein its character. Out of the eight civilizations, it’s the one of few based onpolytheism and therefore might havethe potential to save the world.
Tahara: The world today, shows
exactly Christian civilization andIslamic civilization facing directlyagainst each other. What could Japan do in such a situation?
Goto: I would like to ask the samequestion to you, Mr. Tahara. But
first, I think Japan today should
begin by clarifying where it stands.
During its long history, Japan has
been repeating two phases. One islearning from others and the other isbuilding a culture of its own.
Looking back at the past, after
times when we sent Japanese envoys
to Tang and Sui Dynasty in China
to learn about the outside world,
we had the Heian Period when we
invented Hiragana and Genji-monogatari and developed a civilizationof our own. This era is described as“wa-kon-kan-sai (Japanese spirit imbued with Chinese learning).”
After that came the Azuchi Mo-

moyama Period when Southeast
Asian countries introduced guns
and Christianity to Japan, and Oda
Nobunaga eagerly adopted outside
culture. Then when Japan was sealed
off to the outside world in the Edo
Period, Japanization occurred making Buddhism and Confucianism aculture of its own. The late Edo Period is said to be a time of “wa-konkan-yo-sai (Japanese spirit imbued
with Chinese and Western learning).” In other words, Japan took
in Chinese and Western technology
while maintaining a Japanese spirit.
And in the Meiji Era, it became “wakon-yo-sai (Japanese spirit imbued
with Western learning)” where people were eager to absorb Western
technology and head for cultural
enlightenment. In contrast, in the
Taisho and Showa Era, nationalism
flared-up and the county plunged
itself into WWII. Postwar Japan,
which Mr. Inose described as being Disneyland, is a time when welearned economic and scientifictechnique from the world in orderto catch up with America.
But after the end of the cold war,
we’ve lost the way to face. Now is thetime to think about what Japanesespirit truly is.
Tahara: I have interviewed scholarsof modern history at Tokyo University, probably alumni of Mr. Goto.
I asked then what “kon (spirit)” of“wa-kon-yo-sai” in the Meiji Era
resembled. The professors replied,“nothing like that existed in the firstplace.” They said it was good thatthey pretended it was there, evenwhen there was nothing there. Postwar Japan has taken the position of apacifist. But if I may use Mr. Inose’s
words, we’re in Disneyland with noJapanese spirit. We’ve been continuing this state of lacking identity.
Inose: In Max Weber’s “The Protestant Ethic and the Spirit of Capitalism”, it is explained that economic

ethics of Puritanism—which takes
seeking profit for granted—is what
formulated modern capitalism. Its
eloquent vision on modern history
and Christianity is to the point. But“Japanese spirit” cannot be understood even if you take it to pieces.
There’s no word to describe “Japanese spirit.”
Japan fought a war of aggression
but I don’t think it was an imperialist state. There were times when theEmperor was considered a pillar for
spiritual culture, but Japanese people never forced the countries they
invaded to praise the Emperor as
an absolute being. In other words,“Japanese spirit” was never a fixedsystem, but was instead like a software, that naturally built its form in
the climate of Japanese culture. And
now, like Mr. Tahara says, having
gone through WWII, the Japanese
have lost their “Japanese spirit.”
Here we have to think about another thing. Which era do we call
“Japan”? Huntington says that Japanese civilization probably formed
itself during 100 AD and 400 AD.
The era of Himiko, in the Kofun Period. On the other hand for example,“Japan” described by Yukio Mishima
is an illusion formed during the
Meiji Restoration. About 300 “oraga-kuni (my country)” assembled
and became Japan during the Meiji
Restoration. In other words, it could
be said that Japan as a nation didn’t
exist before that.

Traditions of “wa” withflexible structure vs.
logical civilization of
the West
Tahara: There’s an uncomfortablefeeling about Yukio Mishima’s theory on Japan, because Japan’s Meiji
Era copied Prussia. Hirobumi Ito
and Kowashi Inoue went to Prussia
to investigate and they copied Prussia’s national policy to put togethera prime minister, the national assembly, rules regarding the Imperialfamily and the Constitution of the
Empire of Japan.
Inose: Indeed, Japan after Meiji wasfounded with the help of the Prussian system. It changed massively asa result. Certain things got passed
on but others got lost. But what I
want to point out has to do with ourconsciousness. Before the Meiji Restoration, Japan was the only powerthat we had in mind. But then theBlack Ships came and we learn that
there are several countries in theworld and we would need International Law to get on in internationalsociety. It was the first time Japan
showed itself to the world, and I
think the 300 lords did somethingsimilar close to unfolding themselves
across the globe.
Here, I would like to speak in extension of our discussion we had forour recently published book, “War,7with America. I’m sure there was a
lot of demand from America behind
Prime Minister Abe’s proposal forthe right for collective defense. But
still, wasn’t there more that Japan
could have demanded specificallytoward America? For example, it
could have emphasized the returning of Tokyo’s Air Rights. The skiesof Tokyo are 100 percent ownedby America. That’s why passenger
planes have to take off at an acuteangle, which results in using up extra
fuel. The aviation sovereignty of theJapanese Island is not owned by us,
so can we call ourselves a sovereignstate? A relationship where we canboth demand and give support. Of
course, it’s still not an equal relationship.
Emperor, Nation—Reconsidering theModernization of 150 years.” I think
now is the time to realize again thegreatness of the Western countries.
When 28 Class A war criminals wereprosecuted at the Tokyo Trials, an
American lawyer claims that crimes
against peace that were questioned at
the Tokyo Trials, was a law constituted after the war.
Tahara: Yes, he says it was an ex-post
facto law.
Inose: He says if it is wrong to convict crimes against peace, this trial
itself is wrong. Furthermore, murder in war is not considered guilty. I
know that the President of the country that dropped an atomic bomb on
Hiroshima, he says. In response tothat, the American prosecutor saysthat this is a battle between civilizations. Another words, he says it’s aspecial trial. These people are dueling with logic. We lost the war, but
if we had won, were we capable ofholding such a trial? How should wecombine Western civilization –that
is both systematic and logical—with
Japanese traditions of “wa”? Even 70
years after the war, I still think thatquestion lies with us.

Tahara: Similar to the way Perry arrived in Japan, England entered China and the Opium Wars erupted.
Existing under similar circumstances, why do you think Japan escaped
becoming a colony like China, butinstead went on to build colonies
themselves?
Inose: I think it has got something
to do with Confucianism which issystematic and its solid base worked
toward driving Christianity back.
Japan’s flexible structure allowed different cultures to enter.
Goto: That’s true. Japan has come toaccept one-sided treaties too, while
saying “it’s out of the question!”
Inose: In Korea, Confucianism
clashed directly with Christianity. In
contrary, I think because of Japan’s
flexible structure, Japan has very few
Christians today.
Tahara: Yes there are very few Christians, compared to other countries.
In the meantime, there are a lot of
Christians in Korea.
Inose: To start with, Japan is all

mixed-up. In a sense it lacks system.
There is also “wa” and that is thereason why Japan has retained its
identity.
Tahara: Japan has a flexible approach. It can understand America
but it can also understand why theIslamic State is angry. I think if there
was to be a country that could talkto the Islamic State, it would beJapan. But, leaders of the Liberal
Democratic Party say that it would
be a betrayal toward Western countries. Then what should we do?
Inose: I agree. China’s military budget was a trillion yen 20 years ago,
5 trillion yen 10 years ago and now
15 trillion yen. Meanwhile America’s military budget was 30 trillion
yen in the 90s, 60 trillion yen after
911 in 2001, and now showing asmall decline. It’s just a comparisonof military budget, but amid such
power struggle, Japan is required
to consider how it should stand tosurvive this international situation.
It is said that it will cost 20 trillion
yen, if Japan was to cover an over all
defense budget on its own. For thetime being, Japan must consider
how it must cultivate its partnership

Tahara: I also mentioned in my

TV program that the reason behind
exercising the right for collective
defense was to support America, so
I said why doesn’t Japan propose arevision of the US-Japan Status ofForces Agreement. Shigeru Ishiba
thinks this way. Both Ishiba andPrime Minister Abe claim the rightfor collective defense, but they believe in completely different things.
That’s why he didn’t accept to becoming the Minister of Defense.
Goto: 70 years have passed since
the war, and I hear there are young
people who don’t even know wefought against America. The corefor Japanese civilization’s mission is
not only about researching the Japanese spirit, modern culture, “shinise(long-established stores)” and traditional craft. I think just as importantfrom now on, is how we’re going totransmit such content to people inand outside Japan. In order to send
it abroad, we need to recognize Japanese history while remaining Japanese but be logical at the same time.
Inose: I think it’s frightening if
we imagine the spirit of “wa” and“ishin-denshin (non-verbal communication)” to be an apriority. If we’re
not aware of it, it then doesn’t meanthat we have it. Amidst such circumstances, what kind of information isJapanese Civilization Institute going
to transmit? Today is the beginningof our trial and error. In order tobreak “wa,” “Japan” and “tradition”
apart, and specifically recognize its
form, we need to awaken and acknowledge. Hopefully, we can tackle
these issues, one by one.

The panelists
Soichiro Tahara
Journalist. Creates new horizons in TV journalism in TV Asahi’s programs, “Asa-made Nama TV (Live
TV until morning)” and “Sunday Project.” Specially appointed professor at Waseda University andhead of Okuma School Leadership Challenge. Appearing in numerous TV and radio shows including
TV Asahi’s “Asa-made Nama TV! (Live TV until morning)” and BS Asahi’s “Gekiron! Cross Fire (Heateddiscussion! Cross Fire).” Also, an author of many books. Born 1934.

Naoki Inose
Author. Director of Japanese Civilization Institute. In 1986, he received Souichi Ooya Nonfiction Awardfor his book “Mikado-no Shozo (Portrait of an Emperor).” He resigned his position as Tokyo governor
in December, 2013. His books include “Naoki Inose Collection Modern Japan—12 volumes.” Born
1946.

Toshio Goto
Executive director of Japanese Civilization Institute. Dean of Business Administrations Faculty, andProfessor of Postgraduate School at Japan University of Economics. After acquiring an MBA, starts
working at NEC. Managing director of National Economic Research Association, head of Business
Environment Research Center and Professor of International Information Faculty at Shizuoka Sangyo
University. Writer of numerous books. Born 1942.
Translation : Ayako Karino

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