This essay examines why Japanese newspapers largely ignored the 100th anniversary of the Paris Peace Conference—one of the most significant turning points in world history. Focusing on themes such as national self-determination, the collapse of empires, decolonization, and racial equality, it highlights the absence of historical perspective in modern media coverage and introduces historian Nobuhiko Sakai’s analysis published in Sankei Shimbun.

2019-02-24
One cannot help but say that this clearly demonstrates how Japanese newspapers utterly fail to understand the flow of world history—its progress and development.
Including the editorials, the writings of Hideo Tamura and Nobuhiko Sakai proved that Sankei Shimbun is currently the highest-quality newspaper in Japan.
First, I will introduce Professor Sakai’s article to those who do not subscribe to Sankei Shimbun.

Why Is the 100th Anniversary of the Paris Peace Conference Not Reported?
Nobuhiko Sakai, former professor at the Historiographical Institute, University of Tokyo

What day was January 18 of this year?
It marked the 100th anniversary of the opening of the Paris Peace Conference held after the end of World War I.
Despite being an extremely significant date in world history, it appears that no newspapers reported it.
The most important decision made at the Paris Peace Conference was that, based on U.S. President Wilson’s principle of national self-determination and independence, independent states suddenly emerged across Europe—from Finland in the north to Yugoslavia in the south.
At the same time, four empires—Germany, Austria-Hungary, Russia, and Turkey—collapsed.
In other words, a major historical advancement was realized: nations long suppressed under empires achieved independence.
However, the countries that gained independence at that time were limited to Europe.
Later, independent states emerged from the former Turkish Empire in the Middle East, but in Asia and Africa the principle of national self-determination was largely not applied, and extensive colonial rule continued.
Furthermore, Japan’s proposal for racial equality at the Paris Peace Conference received more support than opposition, but it failed to be adopted due to the decision of Chairman President Wilson.
The United States itself had serious racial discrimination issues and soon banned Japanese immigration.
However, after World War II, the centuries-long system of colonial rule collapsed, and numerous independent nations were born across Asia and Africa.
Influenced by African independence movements, racial discrimination in the United States also began to improve.
Yet movements for national independence continued thereafter.
About thirty years ago, the collapse of the Soviet Union led to the independence of the fifteen republics that composed it.
Following that, Czechoslovakia split into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Yugoslavia broke apart into seven nations after civil war.
Even now, however, there remain regions where nations that should be independent are suppressed.
One such region lies before our very eyes: the People’s Republic of China.
China was formed seventy years ago through the military annexation of the territories of Mongolians, Uyghurs, and Tibetans.
The territories of these three peoples amount to five million square kilometers—more than half of China’s total land area of 9.6 million square kilometers.
Why, then, are newspapers so indifferent to the anniversary of the Paris Peace Conference, an event of such global historical significance?
It can only be said that this reveals how completely they fail to understand the flow, progress, and development of world history.

Nobuhiko Sakai, born 1943 in Kawasaki.
Completed master’s program at the University of Tokyo Graduate School of Humanities.
Engaged in compilation of Dai Nihon Shiryo at the Historiographical Institute of the University of Tokyo.