In the first presidential debate, Kerry proposed seeking global acceptance for major U.S. foreign-policy initiatives. Alas, predictably, it triggered a withering Republican attack that the notion suggested wimpishness, as if Republicans were the global he-men and the foppish Democrats global "girlie-boys."

In response, Kerry backpedaled faster than a mouse catching wind of a hungry rattlesnake. That's too bad. On the substantive merits of the issue itself, Kerry is right and President George W. Bush is wrong. Major American foreign policy initiatives should and must pass some kind of informal global litmus test unless this country wishes to enter into a new kind of isolationism: not so much shrinking into our own borders but -- even more dangerous -- mostly going it alone every time we have in mind a major international move.

In Asia, for example, America's chief ally is undoubtedly Japan. In a pinch, it would and has come through for us, time and again. It was not that easy for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to dispatch even a token force of Japanese troops to Iraq, but that is what he did. The current generation of older leaders in Tokyo can be counted on as loyal to Washington, no matter who is in power.

But future generations of Japanese leaders may not be so easy, and therefore U.S. foreign policy must be more persuasive. Already, an anti-American revolt is brewing within the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, which more or less has held sway over Japanese politics since the end of World War II. Recently, the crash of a U.S. military helicopter in Okinawa triggered something of a mini-revolt within the LDP that has ominous implications.

Consider the unconventional views of Taro Kono, a member of the Diet. American-educated (at prestigious Georgetown University), Kono regards the current U.S.-Japanese alliance as an alliance of unequals and pushes for a more assertive, independent Japanese worldview. He is joined in his reasoned dissent by Upper House legislators Ichita Yamamoto and Yoshimasa Hayashi, among others.

Don't be surprised if there's a future prime minister or foreign minister in this group. Indeed, if Kono and others of his generation gain power someday, Japan may no longer be the automatic yes vote in Uncle Sam's back pocket. To be sure, bolting Washington for intimacy with Beijing is not the most likely scenario that comes to mind. Any Japanese distancing from the United States is likely to be gradual, measured and case-specific.

But just look at South Korea, a traditional and reliable ally, which has been seeking to put some distance between itself and Washington. Much of the energy for this comes from the younger generation of Koreans -- those Internet-savvy Netizens who put the relatively youthful Roh Moo Hyun into the Blue House. President Roh is by no means anti-American, but his foreign policy has been marked by pragmatism, thoughtfulness and careful evaluations of national interest.

Even in reliable Singapore, automatic pledges of allegiance to America cannot be counted on as once before.

It would be tempting to blame such new dynamics in East Asia on the Bush administration's brutishness. But that would miss the larger point that Asia, from giant India to giant China, is undergoing profound generational changes.

Although Kerry and Bush are about the same age, generationally they strike different poses and offer differing appeals in Asia and elsewhere, with the former connecting better with younger, upcoming leaders and the latter gaining more acceptance among the older generation currently in power.

This is a huge generalization, to be sure, boldly covering something like 60 percent of the globe's population. But if it is off at all, it is not by much. More and more, the world -- and especially Asia -- will be judging each and every American foreign-policy initiative by its content, not solely by its made-in-America origins. The new generation of Asians will be responding less as a loyalty test than in precise calculation of national interest.

This is why U.S. foreign policy must acquire new and immediate persuasive power, or else all major initiatives will wind up entirely in our own hands.

Accordingly, American foreign policy will increasingly be put to a "global test." Kerry is right about this: Indeed, the only thing wimpy about the assertion is that, having said it, he then wimped out, backed down and qualified it to death. Stop that, Senator!

Whether candidate or president, you need to stand up for the ideas you believe in and let the good judgment of the American people -- not the Republican re-election propaganda machine and other political enemies, here or abroad -- decide its merits.

Voices of concern grow louder over the ever-rightward rush of Japanese politics with such things like the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, sending the Japanese Self Defense Force to Iraq, territorial disputes with China, and the never-ending sense of hostility toward North Korea. Not all Japanese politicians are like this, however. Even former Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) chief Nonaka Hiromu had clearly opposed visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, a major source of controversy.

Rep. Kono Taro, counted among the new generation of LDP leaders, is presenting a rational alternative to the Yasukuni Shrine visits. In a recent exclusive interview with OhmyNews, he presented his three principles of liquidating the past, facing reality and looking toward the future.

In June 2003, President Roh Moo Hyun visited Japan. As the first foreign visit following Roh's becoming president, it was supposed to be mostly symbolic and ceremonial, but several practical agreements were unexpectedly concluded during the trip. Typical among them was the opening of direct air service between Gimpo and Haneda, and the extension of short-term residence visas in Japan to three months.

The man who proposed the Gimpo-Haneda route was 41-year-old Rep. Kono Taro, famous for being a representative member of the LDP's pro-Korean faction. Kono is now pushing for an agreement for visa exemptions between Korea and Japan.

Seeing how he's the only lawmaker in Japan who runs a Korean-language homepage and how he actively makes use of intern visas for Koreans, one wonders if perhaps he might be a Korean-Japanese.

His father, however, is Rep. Kono Yohei, a major figure in Japanese politics who once served as LDP general secretary and vice prime minister. Kono Taro, too, said of himself, "I'm part of the strongly conservative LDP, and I think of myself as a conservative."

However, he added, "We need a Asia-centric policy that considers at the same time Japan's national interests and the interests of surrounding nations, and the focus of that is between Japan and Korea."

Compared to most other LDP lawmakers who place importance on Japan's relationship with the United States, Kono stands out because of this Asia-centrism.

About the visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, which has drawn criticism from surrounding nations like South Korea, North Korea and China, Kono said, "I, too, pray at the Yasukuni Shrine as I have relatives buried there, but I think the shrine itself is a problem... I think if we established a third facility free from political connections and enshrined the war dead there after separating out the war criminals, the controversy would disappear."

With this, he revealed what differentiates him from other LDP lawmakers.

Kono is considered one of the leading younger politicians to possibly follow Koizumi as prime minister. A man who despite being an LDP lawmaker is making a name for himself for his Asia-centric diplomacy, focusing on Korea-Japan relations and his presentation of a rational alternative to the Yasukuni Shrine visits, Kono met with OhmyNews.

OMN: You've become known as an exceptionally dutiful son for donating last year part of your own liver to your father, Rep. Kono Yohei, who grew gravely ill due to hepatitis C.

Kono Taro: "My father is a fairly stubborn man, so it just took some time to convince him; I didn't do it out any particular feeling of filial piety. And I wasn't the first person to do something like this, either. I was just suspicious as to what level Japan was at in terms of organ transplants, but when I looked at the figures, I found the level to be quite high, with 439 conducted last year, so I decided on the transplant.

I wasn't craving for media attention or anything like that. I simply thought my father was ill and I had to give him part of my healthy liver. Now, we're both healthy. Anyway, I'm critical of the way the mass media has handled this, praising it as filial piety and a rare act."

You're famous for exerting efforts to improve the Korea-Japan relationship by conducting exchanges with young Korean lawmakers and running your homepage in Korean. What made you focus on improving the Korea-Japan relationship?

"It comes from a sense of urgency. I understand the problem as one in which Korea and Japan must pool their strength so that they might survive in the changing global environment. As the European Union enlarges, it's expanding its market gradually toward East Asia and China -- a nation with a population approaching 1.5 billion and immense production capacity expanding its influence throughout the world.

The U.S. is confronting this through NAFTA. India, too, will be using its own initiative. One wonders what Japan and Korea should do in a situation like this, and I think the two must combine their strengths to compete against the other super economic blocks. Afterwards, we should bring Southeast Asia into this economic group. To do this, we should quickly resolve practical issues like signing a free trade agreement, visa exemptions and freeing up labor."

Your recommendation to open up direct air service between Gimpo and Haneda was successful. Now you've started pushing a visa exemption agreement...

"It's a question of utility. During the World Cup, short-term visas were temporarily extended from 15 days to three months. They are currently set at three months. However, the World Expo will be held in Aichi Prefecture next year as well. And normally, thousands of people travel between Korea and Japan every day.

The very existence of visas decreases efficiency. The Gimpo-Haneda route was the same story. Narita and Incheon airports are located far outside the city centers. If the economic exchanges I mentioned before are important, business efficiency also becomes important, so we must cut the time off of air and land travel. I think it would be strange to say visa exemptions wouldn't work."

Are you personally satisfied with the results in these practical matters?

"No, I'm not. Direct air service between Gimpo and Haneda was opened, but the current flight schedule isn't so good. I understand there are three flights, one in the morning, noon and afternoon. These are the worst schedules for business people.

Rather, if they set the flights at 7 or 8 in the morning and 9 at night, it would make business possible, but why they don't do this is the question. And the cumbersome immigration procedures are a problem. We need a system by which if you are cleared to depart from Haneda, you don't need to go through immigration at Gimpo.

Of course, the same goes for immigration at Haneda. The travelers have to pass through each nation's immigration on even the Haneda-Gimpo route, which is only thrice daily. If any party were more accommodating, we could cut at least one hour off immigration screening time."

It might be more convenient for passengers, but the immigration laws between the two nations are different, so is this possible?

"We need a change in thinking. And in fact, Malaysia and Singapore are doing this. They have a special passport, which they accept as identification between the two nations. If you just show it at the airport, they let you in.

It's a similar idea to what one uses on domestic lines. If one needs to enact special laws, this is entirely possible. Japan and Korea is so close -- and the Seoul-Tokyo line is closer than the Busan-Seoul or Osaka-Tokyo routes -- that they should be more accommodating rather than stubbornly clinging to an outdated immigration system."

"The enshrining of war criminals in the Yasukuni Shrine is a major question."

I know you made Lee Seong Gwon, who is now a lawmaker [with the Grand National Party], a secretary, and you've made a Korean student doing his Ph.D. work at Keio University an intern secretary. I understand you're the first Japanese politician to make Koreans secretaries. How has that been?

"To improve the Korean-Japanese relationship and build amity with Korea, the most essential thing is to understand Korea and Lee Seong Gwon helped me quite a bit in this regard, and he was extremely sincere. After him, Mr. Choe has been helping me with pending international issues, especially the relationship with Korea, with which he's been extremely helpful.

I've met Lee Seong Gwon since he's become a lawmaker. I, too, felt a big sense of reward. Besides myself, there are four or five other lawmakers that have Korean secretaries, but because mine could share more direct and substantive discussions with the papers and mass media, it's lent quite a bit of strength."

What kind of discussions, for example?

"The Yasukuni Shrine, how they view North Korea, and so on. This is because how they see those issues differs from the way the Japanese mass media see them. In the case of the Yasukuni Shrine, listening directly to the position of those from nations victimized during the war gives one plenty to think about."

What do you think about Japanese politicians like Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro visiting the Yasukuni Shrine?

"Because I, too, have relatives who died during the Pacific War, I pray at the Yasukuni Shrine. I have sizable doubts, however, about enshrining war criminals at the shrine. Isn't this a cause for diplomatic disputes every year? If we were to build a third facility and enshrine the pure victims of the Pacific War and war criminals separately, wouldn't the cause of the dispute disappear?

There is a tendency, however, for opinions in China and Korea to become over-emotional. If one simply hates the Yasukuni Shrine for whatever reason and unconditionally condemns prayers there, dialogue will not progress. If there's a problem, isn't it the order of things to discuss specifics in order to solve the problem?

It's doubtful whether desired improvement in the Korea-Japan relationship would be possible without liquidation of the long overdue issues such as the Yasukuni Shrine, Korean victims of the atomic bombing and the comfort women.

"Of course. In particular, the response of the Japanese government toward the victims of the atomic bombings has been frankly pitiful. The comfort women issue, too. All the government does is unconditionally hang on government principles with no concrete plan at all to resolve these issues. If the victims continue to protest with their all, while the Japanese government remains flatly silent about those protests, we'll simply continue along perpetual parallel lines.

It's important for the Japanese government to consider and understand the position of the victims. The impression left by Koreans that the Korea-Japan relationship could not move forward at all unless the history was liquidated seems quite strong, and I hope they understand that even if historical issues remain, if the two don't join hands quickly, they will be weeded out from the world. We should not neglect the past, but we should not close eyes to the future, either."

I want to hear more about your future political ambitions.

"Hmm, that's secret (laughter). About two years from now, Prime Minister Koizumi will step down. After Koizumi, LDP General Secretary would be Abe Shinzo's generation most definitely. This is because it's clear as daylight that if Abe's generation doesn't step up to the fore, the LDP will lose to the Democratic Party. If this is the case, couldn't we condense to a question of either Abe or me? As the younger generation, if we give the LDP international competitiveness with ambition and a rational view, I think we could get good results."

The Japanese mass media has been quite sensational about the controversy surrounding South Korean nuclear experiment suspicions. What do you think about the reports of Korea's nuclear experiments?

"Personally, I think there's a slight problem with the nuclear tests themselves. Even if one says the scientists extracted plutonium out of their own personal interest, it's going to be shocking to Japan, which has experienced atomic bombings. Moreover, with the six-way talks going on, the reports came out at the worst of times. I want to point out that it seems like a lack of administration on the part of Seoul.

Yet it's also strange that Japan caused much more noise than was really necessary. This is because Japan, too, has 37 tons of plutonium. It's shameful that Japan should cause so much fuss when South Korea or North Korea reprocesses just a few milligrams.

The Japanese government and media say that our plutonium is for energy development so there's no problem, but actually, it has 37 tons, a massive amount. Officially, we say we aren't using it for nuclear fuel, but if we don't use it up, we don't know what may become of it in the future. I think it's inappropriate for Japan to debate about the uranium and plutonium of other nations."

"During the World Cup, I was moved by the Red Devils' 'Let's Go Together' banner."

I understand you also have a great interest in sports. In particular, I heard you're a football expert, and that through football, you came to have an interest in friendly ties between Korea and Japan.

"I first became interested in Korea for the simple reason that it's geographically close (laughter). However, I came to think of Korea as a nice country watching the Korea-Japan match during the 1997 France World Cup Asian qualifiers. I also run the Bellmare Hiratsuka J-League football club, for whom Hong Myung Bo and Nakata Hidetoshi used to play, so I do consider myself a football fanatic.

It was the 1997 Korea-Japan World Cup Asian qualifier match. The place was Seoul Jamsil Stadium. Korea had already earned a spot in the finals, and Japan needed a win to earn a ticket to France. At the time, unexpectedly, I looked at the stands, and I saw the Red Devils had hung up a banner saying "Let's Go Together" and were cheering for both Korea and Japan. I was so moved I cried. In fact, wouldn't other Japanese who had experienced that feel the same thing?"

In your parliamentary activity, what are you placing most interest in?

"A basic bill has been written for a Korea-Japan visa exemption agreement, and I have been working hard to set the table to ensure that a free trade agreement goes smoothly. I have also been working on bringing to fruition a Korea-Japan football league and reducing the aforementioned inconveniences of the Haneda-Gimpo line.

Of course, with issues like liquidating past history and the Yasukuni Shrine visits, I'm going to consider the positions of the people of countries victimized during the war, including Korea. The most important thing is an attitude to approach in a balanced way three themes -- liquidating the past, confronting reality and orienting oneself to the future. More than a hard and fast principle, this is something to promote a movement that could be flexible according to the situation. I'm going to work hard for this in the future as well.

We thank you for agreeing to this long interview. We ask you to say something to OhmyNews' readers.

"Just by disposition, I'm a conservative politician, and OhmyNews is a progressive media outlet, but I feel it's worthwhile that we could meet and talk naturally. Rather than unconditionally refusing to meet one another -- just because you think the other side will be a bad dialogue partner or have preconceived notions of what you say even if you do meet -- if we meet and talk like this, I think we can find common points and solutions. I would like the chance to meet with Korean young people and hear their thoughts and opinions, should the opportunity arise. I really hope that chance comes."

March 13, 2009

Statement on North Korea's move towards a rocket launch

North Korea has been making preparations for the launch of what appears to be a Taepodong-2 ballistic missile and announced yesterday, March 12, that it had notified the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and the International Maritime Organization (IMO) of its plan to launch a satellite between April 4 and 8.

Whatever pretext North Korea may give, it should refrain from any action which undermines the peace and stability of the North East Asian region including Japan. Any action of this nature would be extremely regrettable.

Even if the object to be launched is a booster-rocket for a satellite, as North Korea claims, given that launch vehicles for satellites and ballistic missiles are based on common technology, this launch clearly runs contrary to the Japan-DPRK Pyongyang Declaration of 2002 and is also in violation of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1695 and 1718, which called for the suspension of all activities related to North Korea's ballistic missile program. There is no acceptable reason for this launch.

Furthermore, North Korea's inflexible attitude is an affront to the long-standing effort toward the peaceful resolution of North Korea's nuclear development issue made through the system of the Six-Party Talks. North Korea should seriously reconsider its actions.　

North Korea's announcement to launch is extremely regrettable. I sincerely hope that North Korea will listen to the wishes of the international community and reconsider its decision.

KONO Taro
Member of the House of Representatives
Chairman, Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs
Parliament of Japan

Follow me on twitter in Japanese! http://twitter.com/konotarogomame

A good news and a bad news.
A good news is that the LDP-backed Independent candidate has won the Nagasaki Governor race. A bad news is Tanigaki and his deputies are planning to meet at seven tomorrow meeting and a news conference is set at 7:30. Why so early? Tanigaki must be planning to refuse the Budget Committee debate from tomorrow until Ozawa comes to testify in the Parliament. I must say this is a real crazy tactics. People do not want to see MPs wasting time on scandals. They want policy debates on economic recovery, pension and medical reforms etc. Team Tanigaki must have thought the victory in Nagasaki is the product of their effort to push Hatoyama around with questions on himself and Ozawa. No, people are now disillusioned with lies in the DPJ Manifesto. It is the time to be offensive on policy front.

Several journalists called me yesterday asking if I would leave the Party with MASUZOE Yoichi of the Upper House. I flatly said NO. They were suspecting that MASUZOE would leave the Party with HATOYAMA Kunio, the Brother, who would finance the new party. They were said to join Your Party of Watanabe Yoshimi. The rating of DPJ and Hatoyama, the Elder, has plummeted, but LDP rating is still flat. If you watch TV, you see old LDP members asking questions, and the questions are mostly not about the economy but scandals of Hatoyama and Ozawa. Tanigaki should have the younger ones debating about the economy and social security. LDP Upper House leadership is still not letting those who supported me in the leadership election stand and ask questions in the Budget Committee. They are now more Aoky than Aoki himself.