Mishima Yukio’s biting description of Ōe Kenzaburō exposes a deliberate embrace of anti-Japanese ideology under the banner of postwar democracy, revealing intent rather than mere compromise.

2016-04-10

Takayama brilliantly reveals the true nature of Ōe Kenzaburō, which had been completely unknown to those who spent their days and nights devoted to practical business for the sake of society and others.
Apart from the title, all emphasis in the text is mine.
“To Correct the Asahi Shimbun, an Ethical Review Mechanism Is Necessary”
—A Shoddy Argument for Innocence That Simply Adopts Ōe Kenzaburō’s Claims Wholesale
Ōe Kenzaburō, No Different from a Chinese National
Ōe Kenzaburō often says, “I belong to the generation of postwar democracy.”
For that reason, he does not accept the imperial system, dislikes the nation of Japan itself, and declared an attitude hardly different from that of a Chinese national, saying he had no desire to receive the Order of Culture.
Mishima Yukio assessed such an Ōe as, in effect, “a courtesan selling spring in the Iwanami Tower under an anti-Japanese line.”
If he were merely like Ienaga Saburō, who bent his principles out of necessity to make a living, that might still be understandable.
However, Ōe did not simply bend his principles; he consciously infused them with malicious intent.
Ruth Benedict wrote in The Chrysanthemum and the Sword that shame forms the basis of the Japanese character.
In that sense, Ōe is far removed from being Japanese.
Without a sense of shame, one can lie without hesitation.
To be continued.