The American who once condemned Japan later admitted that, after studying the history of Korea and the Philippines, Japan’s position was correct. He confessed that Japanese diplomats, journalists, and corporate expatriates always responded with apology—not argument—when told about “colonial oppression,” giving him control of the conversation. Takayama exposes how ignorance among Japan’s opinion-shaping class enabled foreign propaganda.

2016-01-06

The following continues from the previous chapter.

Emphasis and ＊…＊ are mine.

I later had the chance to meet this man again.

He told me that after our first encounter, he had gone on to study the histories of the Philippines and Korea, and realized that what I had said was correct.
He readily admitted his mistake.

Then he added:

“When I bring up the colonial issue in Korea to a Japanese person I’m meeting for the first time, they all say they’re sorry.
That’s how I’ve always taken control of the conversation.
This was the first time anyone pushed back.”

He laughed, saying, “It had always been an effective line when dealing with Japanese.”

Here I should add a note:
The “Japanese” he refers to are newspaper reporters, consulate staff—meaning bureaucrats from various ministries—and corporate expatriates, in short, people who are in positions to shape public opinion.
Such people know nothing about the actual content of the Korea annexation or about modern history.

Foreign correspondents are the worst of all: despite having only vague and inaccurate knowledge, they write as if they were qualified to comment on delicate international issues.

＊Takayama’s account fully confirms the accuracy of my own severe criticism of that female Nikkei reporter＊

This chapter continues.