The Japanese word nemawashi signifies a workstyle in which, before doing anything, people lay the groundwork through consultation and communication, and only then do they make a formal decision.
In March, Japanese journalist Tsuyoshi Nojima wrote an article titled “A 30-year journey of name changes from Ma Chi-chuang [馬紀壯] to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan,” in which he revealed a major news story about a successful mission to safeguard Taiwan’s property in Tokyo.
When Japan established diplomatic relations with China in 1972, Beijing took ownership of property registered under the name of the Republic of China. The embassy of the Republic of China (Taiwan) in Japan, which occupied 7,242m2 in Tokyo’s upscale Roppongi district, was thus delivered into China’s hands.
In 1986, Taiwan purchased a 6,000m2 plot of land in the Shirokanedai district of Tokyo’s Minato City, on which a new building was constructed to house its representative office. Learning a lesson from its experience, Taiwan registered the ownership under the name of Ma Chi-chuang, who was at that time Taiwan’s representative to Japan.
However, Ma died in 1998. Many years later, the surrounding area has become highly prized and the value of that land has risen to several tens of billions of yen.
If Taipei did not promptly change the registered name of the property owner, it would eventually end up as somebody’s private property, as has happened with so much of the overseas assets of the Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT), and Taiwan could do nothing about it.
Eight successive representatives to Japan over the following 33 years found their hands tied and could not find a solution to this issue.
However, this year, Nojima visited the district’s legal affairs bureau to examine documents covering the land. He found to his surprise that, under the good offices of Representative to Japan Frank Hsieh (謝長廷) the registered owner of the building had quietly changed on Jan. 24 from Ma to the “Property Management Committee of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in Japan.”
Nojima photographed the documents to prove that this had happened. Because this case involves a huge sum of money and many vested interests, many counterclaims have since been raised.
Since there are no diplomatic relations between Taiwan and Japan, interactions between the two governments can generally not be conducted openly. However, given the brotherly relations that exist between the two sides, their behind-the-scenes nemawashi has actually achieved the aim of an increased understanding.
This kind of nemawashi diplomacy, which could only be possible through negotiation, has notched up many achievements.
As a Taiwanese who has lived in Japan for many years, I deeply admire those involved for safeguarding Taiwanese expatriates’ spiritual stronghold, which they achieved by leaving no stone unturned and with no concern for praise or criticism.
Furthermore, I feel compelled to tell people about this achievement. Our compatriots should applaud all those involved for their hard work and valuable service.
Wang Hui-sheng is chief director of the Kisai Ladies’ and Children’s Hospital in Japan.
Translated by Julian Clegg
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS