JAPAN-ASIA: Hashimoto’s Nationalistic Leanings Worry Asians

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Jan 18 1996 (IPS) - Asian countries are worried that the rise to power of Ryutaro Hashimoto, Japan’s new prime minister known for his nationalistic leanings, will set back efforts to get the economic giant to own up to its wartime aggression in the region.

The 58-year-old Hashimoto, head of the conservative Liberal Democratic Party, took over the premiership last week from Socialist leader Tomiichi Murayama.

His no-nonsense political style and colourful personality set him apart from his uncharismatic predecessor, and his go-getting attitude has raised hopes that he could lead Japan out of its economic slump.

“He represents a new breed of politician in Japan — he likes things done his own way,” says Masayoshi Suga, a senior writer for Asahi Evening News.

But regional observers warn about the possible implications of Hashimoto’s nationalistic background on relations with Asian nations brutally colonised by Japan half a century ago.

“Hashimoto could foster a nationalistic or rightist movement in Japan, which could hamper ties with Seoul,” the Korea Times, a South Korean daily, commented last week.

The new foreign minister, Yukihiko Ikeda, brushes aside suggestions that Hashimoto’s ascent does not bode well for Tokyo’s regional ties. “Japan’s relations (with Asia) will not be bogged down by the past but will move forward,” he said.

Hashimoto took over the reins of power at a crucial time for Japan. The country is considering taking on a more active defence role in Asia as the United States scales down its military presence in the region.

In the past two years, Japan’s defence budget has provided for the purchase of new sophisticated military material. Tokyo has also been sponsoring a series of high-level talks on defence cooperation in Asia.

Hashimoto also strongly advocates a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council for Japan and a more active role for his country’s Self-Defence Forces in peacekeeping activities.

A major reason for the lack of enthusiasm in Asia over his rise to the country’s top post is his strong links with the Japan War Bereaved Families Association, a politically powerful rightist group with a following of more than three million.

Hashimoto was president of the association until last year. He has tried to distance himself from it since becoming premier, but observers say his deep-rooted links with the group, dating back to the early post-war years, will be difficult to sever.

The group, closely associated with the notorious, now-defunct Japanese Imperial Army, is adamantly opposed to the idea of apologising to Asia. Its members insist Japan was merely protecting the region against Western invaders.

As head of the War Bereaved Families Association, Hashimoto made annual visits to the Yasukuni Shrine in Tokyo where Japanese war criminals are buried, ignoring China’s and South Korea’s sensitivity to the practice.

Mizuho Fukushima, a lawyer representing Asian victims of Japanese colonisation, says pressure from nationalistic groups is a major obstacle to clearing up unresolved historical issues between Japan and Asia.

One of the most sensitive issues involving Japan and its neighbours is compensation for thousands of ageing Asian women who were forced to work as sex slaves to Imperial Army troops during the war.

Japan set up a private fund for the so-called ‘comfort women’ last year, relying on individual and business donations. But the amount accumulated so far has fallen way below the target.

Comfort women across the region have rejected the fund, insisting instead on individual compensation from the government and an unambiguous apology for their suffering over the past five decades.

After years of denying the Imperial Army had forced Asian women to have sex with its troops, the Tokyo government finally admitted to the crime two years ago.

But pressure from right-wing politicians prevents Japan from accepting full responsibility for its war crimes in Asia. Conservatives argue Japan has completed its obligations with it paid compensation to South Korea after World War II.

As a cabinet member, Hashimoto endorsed Murayama’s war apology last August to mark the 50th anniversary of the end of the war, but he is believed to have forced the former premier to tone down the apology.

Perma Galpo, a Tibetan who teaches international politics at Gifu Women’s University, notes that Hashimoto did not develop close ties with any Asian nation or leader during his term as trade minister or in his previous official posts, another reason why his ascent has not caused much excitement in the region.

Hashimoto’s close ties with the bureaucracy and business are also considered major barriers to important bureaucratic reforms which are crucial to opening up the country to more Asian imports.