A Wall Street Journal editorial on the comfort women issue exposes the sloppy and inferior level of knowledge among America’s so-called intellectuals. This failure explains why the United States alone can no longer lead the world, and why Japan must confront historical falsehoods head-on.

2016-02-06

All Japanese readers possessing sound intellect who read the following passage—continuing from the previous chapter—will be stunned to learn that the Wall Street Journal is a newspaper of such a low caliber and can write such things without hesitation.
They will be appalled.
At the same time, they will come to understand something clearly.

They will realize that the knowledge of those who call themselves American intellectuals is sloppy in the extreme and utterly inferior.

They will also keenly feel that Japan must no longer deal with the United States in the same manner as it has in the past.

Under such conditions, it is only natural that the United States alone cannot lead the world.

The intellectual level is simply too low.

WSJ, be ashamed of how outrageously false and foolish you are, and of how profoundly ignorant you remain!

(All emphases within the text, other than the heading, are mine.)

Reject the “Japan-as-Villain” Narrative

While the Asahi Shimbun continues to publish editorials that show no sign of self-reflection, major American newspapers have likewise not changed their stance on the comfort women issue.

The aforementioned WSJ editorial praised the Japan–South Korea agreement from a security perspective, yet with regard to historical issues it once again advanced the familiar Japan-as-villain narrative.

The editorial stated as follows:

“The Imperial Japanese Army sent tens of thousands of wartime sex slaves to military brothels, most of them Korean women,” describing “the shameful history of comfort women as sex slaves,” and claiming that “Japan has continued to deny that women were forced into prostitution,” all written in highly emotional language.

Even while evaluating the Japan–South Korea agreement positively, they do not consider Japan to have been falsely accused in the comfort women issue—not in the slightest.

This is precisely the point Japan must change.

By continuing to reveal the truth of historical issues and thereby reshaping international public opinion, the Abe administration—which concluded the Japan–South Korea agreement—bears an even greater responsibility than before.

Fortunately, several new developments are emerging within the international community.

To be continued.