The preface to Takayama Masayuki’s Distorted Reporting is a must-read not only for the Japanese people but for the entire world. Drawing from an encounter at a Los Angeles party, Takayama exposes the deep-rooted historical ignorance of Western elites and dismantles their misconceptions about Korea’s annexation and America’s brutal colonization of the Philippines. His words offer a rare, corrective truth capable of reshaping global historical consciousness.

2016-01-06

The following is the “Preface” of Takayama Masayuki’s Distorted Reporting (Shincho Bunko, 520 yen), referenced in the previous chapter.

It is a book that every Japanese citizen—and indeed every person in the world—must read.
In other words, this is truth itself, expressed in the jewel-like words of the only genuine journalist, scholar, and writer in the postwar world.
It is a work that corrects and saves the world.

Shortly after I was posted to Los Angeles as a correspondent, I was invited to a small home party.

Because of the location—Hollywood’s backyard—the guests included Japanese and American journalists, film production people, photographers, lawyers, and other prominent figures.

Seeing me as a newcomer, one of the American staff members hosting the party approached and spoke to me.

He was Jewish, held two university degrees, and was now working in screenplay selection.

“Is this your first overseas posting?” he asked.

“No, I have done some work in the Middle East.”

I told him I had recently been in Myanmar and met Aung San Suu Kyi.

While I was there, her British husband—who was taking advantage of her—happened to come by, so I heard his account as well.

On my way back, when I stopped in Bangkok, I was caught up in a coup d’état.
The military came out, and several dozen citizens were killed.
It was the coup by General Suchinda.
Citizens mounted an unusually large-scale democratic protest against the general, who had made himself prime minister, and forced him to resign.

Hearing this, the American man frowned gravely.
“Asia, huh,” he said, and then continued, “Japan once did terrible things in Asian countries.”

I denied it casually, saying, “Not really,” and he was visibly shocked.

He stared at me, as if a pigeon hit by a bean bullet, and said, “No, Japan did terrible things. Japan colonized Korea, did it not?”

“No, that’s wrong,” I denied once more.

Regarding Korea, it wasn’t colonization (colonize).
It was annexation (annex).

It was the same as when the United States annexed Texas.

And Japan’s administration went well.
At the very least, Japan did nothing so atrocious as to deserve criticism from the United States, which colonized the Philippines.

He turned red and shot back:

“The United States civilized the Filipinos. We did good things. But Japan did nothing but cruel things in Korea!”

“With all due respect,” I replied.

The United States deceived the Filipinos by promising them independence and made them fight Spain as a proxy.
When Spain surrendered, the United States broke its promise and turned the Philippines into an American colony.

When the enraged Filipinos resisted, the United States sent the military and began massacring them.

They captured their families, set their houses on fire, tortured, and killed them.

This chapter continues.