Don't judge Japan from a basis of ignorance

The storm triggered by the comic book On Taiwan (台灣論) has been sweeping through the country. Those rushing to express their opinions publicly seem to have swarmed out of the cage labelled "Japan experts."

Many commentators claim Yoshinori Kobayashi (小林善紀) is merely a cartoonist who cannot be linked to the mainstream Japanese society, while others said he has never done research on history, much less has any historical knowledge. One unifying trend in the criticism was that no matter what Kobayashi writes, it could be dismissed out-of-hand simply a superficial opinion.

Such comments may help the opinion-givers vent to their discontent, but what do they base their arguments on? They seem to believe that only historians have or can have in-depth historical viewpoints.

Who is qualified to judge whether or not Kobayashi is a marginalized and lonely right-winger? The commentators provided no statistics or explanations. However, one thing we do know is that his comic books have sold thousands of copies.

Amid this wave of debate, a renowned member of the Academia Sinica, based in the US, wrote an article, saying that those "Japan-loving Taiwanese," those "imperial citizens" (皇民), such as presidential advisor Shi Wen-lung (許文龍), have been nurtured in the Japanese culture and feel superior to others.

However, he also quoted a Japanese professor as saying that these imperial citizens have neither been accepted by mainstream Japanese society nor do they understand the profundities of Japanese culture. But he cited the professor's opinion as evidence, without analyzing it to see if there was any national superiority complex or discrimination.

Everyone uses the term "mainstream Japanese society" and many people in Taipei are busy trying to stick labels on right-wingers like Kobayashi so they can sweep them into the basement and out of sight. But are such right-wingers really out of step with Japanese society?

Take some examples from the most influential political circles of Japan. In 1986, then minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Masayuki Fujio (藤尾正行) said that Japan's annexation of Korea was agreed upon by both sides and Korea was also responsible. When former justice minister Shigeto Nagano (永野茂門) took office in 1994, he said that the Sino-Japanese war was not an invasion and that the Nanking Massacre did not happen. Less than a year ago, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori (森喜朗) said Japan is a godly nation centered around their mikados, or emperors. His viewpoint is identical with those in the era of pre-World War II militarism.

Of course, these right-wing views by high-ranking officials were immediately criticized and most of them were forced to resign to pacify objections made by Japan's neighbors. However, it is hard to deny that these people do not belong in the mainstream.

Japan's leftists and rightists have their own domains. For example, in the media, the Yomiuri Shimbun (讀賣新聞) is left-wing, and the Sankei Shimbun (產經新聞) is right-wing. Most of the senior industrial leaders lean toward the right. Tokyo Governor Shintaro Ishihara (石原慎太郎) may one day become prime minister, but he still calls China "Sina" (支那), a derogatory name left over from the pre-World War II era.

We should present reasons when judging people or issues. We should not turn up our noses at someone's viewpoints simply because they are offensive to us. Even though right-wingers such as Kobayashi belong to a very marginal group, it does not constitute a reason for repudiating their standpoints. After all, mainstream views are not tantamount to truth, and who can figure out where Japan's mainstream is?