Circles and Squares

“Debate about the diplomatic crisis in Japan”

Emanuel Pastreich

I had a chance to visit Japan to speak with individuals who are deeply concerned with the challenge of creating a  healthy and peaceful order in Northeast Asia last week. This was the first time I have had a chance to engage in such a broad engagement with Japanese scholars, diplomats, politicians and ordinary citizens in the last 14 years. I was deeply impressed by the sincerity I saw in the efforts of the people I met and by the rising concern among ordinary citizens about how the foreign policy of Japan has been hijacked by a small group of special interests whose agenda is increasingly narrow and, mimicking the United States, is increasingly drawn to military solutions for all problems.

My first talk hosted by the New Diplomacy Initiative (新外交イニシアティブ) （March 4, 2016) in Tokyo at the National Assembly. The topic was “Towards a new comprehensive framework for arms limitations: The United States and Security in East Asia”「米国と東アジアの安全保障　―包括的な軍縮の枠組みに向けて―」. The discussion was led by the founder of the New Diplomacy Initiative, Ms. Saruta Sayo 猿田 佐世. Ms. Saruta is an international lawyer who has dedicated herself to exploring new prospects for an integrated and innovative approach to diplomacy in Japan which takes into account the overlap between security, trade, diplomacy and nonproliferation. The group included many experts from journalism, diplomacy and academics, as well as several very enthusiastic students.

Pastreich talk at New Diplomacy Initiative

The next day (March 5, 2016) I spoke at Sakyo Forum 左京フォーラム held at Kyoto University. The topic was “An international perspective on Japan’s Article Nine: The challenges for Japan of the 21st century and the road forward towards trust building”  “日本の21世紀の新たな挑戦と信頼への道–世界から見た憲法九条“

The audience numbered about eighty people and included many NGO activists concerned about the creeping militarization of Japan. My talk about the realistic need for the peace constitution was rather short and followed by remarks by former national diet member Hattori Ryoichi 服部良一and Dr. Matsuhisa Hiroshi 松久寛, the founder of “Research Project for a Reduced Society” (Shukusho shakai kenkyukai 縮小社会研究会) . Most of the time was dedicated to an open discussion of the future of security in Japan.

The final talk on Sunday (March 6, 2016) was held in Osaka. I made comments following a talk delivered by  Ambassador Magosaki Ukeru (孫崎享) former director of international intelligence for the Japanese Foreign Ministry and former professor at the Japanese National Defense University（元外務省国際情報局長、元防衛大学校教授）.

Ambassador Magosaki spoke frankly about the increasingly dangerous environment in East Asia and the lack of accountability that has resulted from the embrace of the ambiguous term “collective self defense” (集団的自衛権) by the Japanese government.

I offered my perspectives in the role of the United States in this dangerous development and offered a few proposals for how we can achieve a stable peaceful environment that is built on a comprehensive security architecture that includes both China and the United States. The event was sponsored by “Committee of 1000 to Stop War” 「戦争をさせない1000人委員会」, “East Asian Youth Exchange Project” 「東アジア青年交流PJ」 and “Research Project for a Reduced Society” (縮小社会研究会) .

Talk in Osaka with Magosaki Ukeru about the threat of militarism in East Asia.

その講演の映像はここでご覧になれます。

「日本の外交、これでええの？」

（IWJ Independent Web Journal放送）

2016年3月6日（日）13時半より、大阪市西区にある学働館・関生において戦争あかん！ロックアクションによる学習講演会「日本の外交、これでええの？」が開かれ、元外務官僚・孫崎享氏と韓国・慶熙大学校国際大学のエマニュエル・パストリッチ氏が講演した。

主催挨拶 服部良一氏（元衆議院議員）

講演 孫崎享氏

（元外務省国際情報局長、元防衛大学校教授）

講演 エマニュエル・パストリッチ (Emanuel Pastreich) 氏

（韓国 慶熙大学校国際大学准教授・アジアインスティテュ―ト所長）

荒木淳子：

“今日の孫崎享さん学習講演会。場所は関生の新しい会館。むちゃ綺麗で豪華！
シールズ＆サドル＆ティーンズソウルの若者デモとばっちり重なって、集客にずいぶん気をもみました。心配のあまり、200人近くのFB友達に直メッセージで宣伝までしましたが（最近のイベントページは招待できる人の数に上限がある！）、ふたを開けてみれば230人の参加で椅子や資料が足りなくなる大盛況でした！用事があって参加できないけど…というひともあちこちでイベントページをシェアしてくれて、感謝感激。
今日の集会では、集団的自衛権や戦争法等々の基本的な説明はしなくてもわかっている人ばかりなので、孫崎さんのお話は、いきなり直球ど真ん中。孫崎さんならではの、世の中で起こっている出来事の真相をふかーくえぐりとったお話ばかり聴けたので、大満足でした(*^_^*)。ゲストのパストリッチさんもとてもチャーミングな方でした。
交流会は用意していたお食事40人分ほぼぴったりの40人強の方が参加してくれて、文字通り大懇親会となりました。楽しかったです！
孫崎さん、パストリッチさん、ご協力いただいた関生のみなさん、参加してくださったみなさん、フェイスブックでシェアしてくださったみなさん、ありがとうございました！！！”