Drawing from a work by former University of Tokyo professor Nobuhiko Sakai, this article analyzes the ideological structure behind the so-called “self-tormenting view of history” exposed in the coral reef incident. It argues that this mindset is more accurately described as a deliberate “anti-Japan historical view,” rooted in the fusion of Marxist historiography and the Tokyo Trial narrative.

The way of thinking that appeared in the reporting on the coral reef incident—namely, the Asahi-style mode of thought that relentlessly condemns and degrades Japan as an absolute wrongdoer, a way of thinking rooted in discrimination and prejudice—can without doubt be regarded as having manifested in the realm of historical issues through the series of reports by Katsuichi Honda that were mentioned earlier.

What kind of structure, then, does this so-called Asahi-style mode of thought possess, which is so passionately devoted to denigrating Japan and the Japanese people?

As a clue to elucidating this, let us first consider the so-called “self-tormenting view of history” of the left, which is closely intertwined with Asahi-style thinking.

In postwar Japan, communist—that is, leftist—historical views have exerted great influence within the academic world of Japanese historiography.

This is a historical perspective that looks upon not only wartime Japan but also postwar Japan in an extremely critical light.

It may be understood as a fusion of the Marxist historical view long held by the Communist Party since before the war and the Tokyo Trial historical view imposed by the Allied occupation forces.

As stated in the section on “the history of historical issues” in Chapter 2, from the 1980s onward, this historical view was exploited by foreign powers such as the Chinese Communist regime and South Korea, giving rise to what is now known as the historical issues that have continued to afflict our country to this very day.

Those who opposed this put forward what they called a liberal view of history, and the label they bestowed upon the leftist historical view in criticism was “the self-tormenting view of history.”

Since the leftist historical view constantly speaks ill of Japan in a critical manner, from the perspective of the nation as a whole, it may appear as though Japanese people are subjecting their own nation and themselves to psychological abuse, and in that sense the term “self-tormenting” may be said to have a certain plausibility.

The designation “self-tormenting view of history” is also, to be sure, convenient and easy to understand.

However, the reason I feel a strong sense of discomfort toward the expression “self-tormenting” is that there exists a fundamental question as to whether those who brandish this so-called self-tormenting view of history actually feel any pain in their own hearts as a result of it.

They clearly feel no such pain.

On the contrary, there can be little doubt that they feel a profound sense of satisfaction through it.

That is to say, at the moment they are attacking Japan, they do not include themselves among the Japanese whom they are targeting.

They merely treat Japanese people in the same manner as they would treat foreigners.

Accordingly, since the historical views of the left clearly single out Japan itself as an object of condemnation, bullying, and attack, I believe that one should employ the expression that more accurately reflects the reality: the “anti-Japan abusive view of history.”

One might also use the term “anti-Japan historical view,” but the expression “anti-Japan” alone is far too mild and lacks the necessary impact.