by Xinhua writers Zhu Chao, Liu Xiuling
BEIJING, Dec. 14 (Xinhua) -- A former senior diplomat and expert on Japanese politics voiced alarm Wednesday at Japan's rightward shift, calling on the country to respect the established post-war order.
Asai Motofumi, Japan's former Director of China and Mongolia Division in the Japanese Foreign Ministry and former envoy to Britain, told Xinhua in an exclusive interview that "the conservative forces in Japan represented by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's administration are leading Japan down the wrong path and isolating the country from the rest of the world."
Since Abe came to power again in late 2012, a right-leaning shift emerged in various areas of the country, including politics, foreign and security policies, the 73-year-old expert said.
Talking about the moves' ideological root, Asai said it could be traced back to the country's defeat in World War II.
"The reason why Japan received the Potsdam Declaration, which demanded the unconditional surrender of the Japanese military, does not lie in the consciousness about the erroneousness of launching the war. Rather, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the declaration of war by the Soviet Union, Japan realized it could not succeed," Asai said.
Therefore, Japan's right-wing political forces are reluctant to recognize the defeat, and instead they are waiting for a chance to stage a comeback, said Asai.
To them, the only way Japan can resume its past glory is to reestablish its powerful military strength, he added.
On such a basis, those 14 Class-A war criminals who were tried by the International Military Tribunal are enshrined instead of being vilified at the controversial Yasukuni Shrine, where Abe paid homage to mark his first anniversary in power, Asai said.
When it comes to the consequences of Japan's shift to the right, Asai pointed out that it could have a destructive impact on Japan's future development and its relations with neighboring countries.
"Regretfully, few forces exist in Japan who are able to criticize right-wingers directly. That's why a series of decisions by the current administration, such as lifting the ban on collective self-defense, face strong opposition from the public but still got approval," he said.
"If this trend continues and the conservative force's influence becomes even more dominant, Japan's overall shift to the far right will become irreversible," Asai warned.
Next year marks the 70th anniversary of the victory of the anti-fascist war. But Asai said Japan, as has been proved by its recent bellicose actions, still lacks a sincere and profound reflection on its history of militaristic aggression.
On how to stop the shift to the right, Asai said that in his opinion, external pressure should play a key role.
"Japan's post-war development is based on the Potsdam Proclamation and Japan's Constitution in accordance with the proclamation, rather than the 'Treaty of San Francisco' or 'Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security between the United States and Japan," he noted.
"I think the Russian and Chinese leaders' decision to hold the 70th anniversary of anti-fascist war globally will be of great importance," Asai said, adding the year 2015 will be a great opportunity to emphasize that basis and the legitimacy of today's world order.
The former senior diplomat also suggested that Russia and China work with South Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the Southeast Asian countries in a joint response to Japan's right-leaning maneuvers.
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