Taro Aso: Japan is more highly regarded around the world than we Japanese think.

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Taro Aso
Born January 15, 9
January 1978: Became president of the Japan Junior Chamber of Commerce (December 1978)
October 1979: Elected to the House of Representatives, and has been elected nine times since.
April 2001: Appointed Chairman of the Liberal Democratic Party's Policy Research Council
September 2003: Minister of Internal Affairs and Communications (until October 2005)
October 2005: Minister for Foreign Affairs (until August 2007)
August 2007: Secretary-General of the Liberal Democratic Party (until September 2007)

The reasons he wanted to become a politician were "lineage" and "restoring his hometown"

What made you want to become a politician?
"There were two reasons that motivated me to take up this role. The first was something like 'bloodline.' I am related by blood to Okubo Toshimichi, Makino Nobuaki, and Yoshida Shigeru, and growing up in a family of politicians may have had a strong influence. I think I am about the fifth generation. So, vaguely, I felt something like 'bloodline.' The second was the influence of my hometown. I was born and raised in Iizuka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, a city that prospered from coal. However, after coal disappeared, the area fell into a deep decline, and I felt that it would be impossible to revive without relying on political power. So the following year, I ran for a seat in the House of Representatives and was elected."
*Japan Junior Chamber of Commerce: an incorporated association based in Japan that is an international organization affiliated with Junior Chamber International (JCI).

Japan's reputation overseas is much higher than what Japanese people think

As someone who has served as Minister for Foreign Affairs, how do you think Japan is viewed overseas?
"I think it's safe to say that it is overwhelmingly highly rated. In a survey conducted by British National Television (targeting 28000 people from 30 countries), Japan was ranked number one for two consecutive years, two years ago and two years ago, as the country that has had a positive influence on the world. That just goes to show how highly rated Japan is. The current situation is that Japan's reputation overseas is far higher than what Japanese people think of Japan's critics. I've been to many places since I was a student, including Africa and Brazil, and Japan's reputation now is completely different from what it was back then (about 40 years ago); it's overwhelmingly higher now."

Japan should contribute to the international community through "work"

What will Japan's role be in the world in the future?
"What Japan excels at is its ability to work. Japan needs a minimum level of military power, but the Japanese should do more to spread the word about the wonderfulness of their country's greatest culture, the ability to work."

What specifically is the best way to interact with the world?
"In the Middle East, ever since the founding of Israel in 1948, up until now, when we talk about terrorism, we often say things like, 'It's because they're Muslims,' or 'Christianity...' but I think that's wrong, and I would like to cite Chile as an example of a counterargument to the opinion that 'religion is a breeding ground for terrorism.' There, Judaism and Islam exist within a Christian country, and it works perfectly well. Chileans know this very well. It's a lie to say that religion is the cause of everything because of stories like this. I believe that the real problems that cause terrorism are 'poverty' and 'despair.' In other words, 'lack of hope' is the main reason people turn to terrorism. Therefore,
"I believe that economic development in Palestine is essential to give the people there "hope" and "income." As for what to do there, I think agriculture is the best way to do that. When Israel was first established, it created large agricultural communities called "kibbutzim," which were very successful. I think Palestine should do the same. The climate and soil are the same as Israel's, so it's not impossible. That's where Japan comes in and teaches agricultural chemical technology. Japan will also cover the costs involved. Japan will sell the finished products through trading companies. There should be no problems."

I see, that kind of offering is something that only we Japanese can do.

"That's right. We tell the Palestinians to work just like the Japanese.
And there, Israel wanted to be quiet and watch.
On the other hand, we would like Jordan to cooperate. Palestinians would want to export Palestinian-made goods to the world via Jordan, not Israel. They would like the safety of Palestinian crops to be guaranteed when they cross the river. We spent a year and a half negotiating with Israel, asking them to do just that. Finally, Shimon Peres, a Jewish Israeli president, offered to give it a go, coming to Japan in March. In August, representatives from the four parties gathered again in Jericho, where the agricultural complex is being built. The most surprising thing was when Shimon Peres said, "I have attended countless meetings between Israel, Palestine, and Jordan in my 50 years of political career, but this is the first time I have sat down for the sole purpose of making money." This kind of discussion had probably never happened before, but this time, for the first time, he stood up and extended his hand, saying, "Let's give it a go." The Palestinian head of foreign relations (similar to a foreign minister) then extended his hand, and the four of us shook hands. "If this grain belt were to be created..." Israel and Palestine said in their speeches, "Japan has given us the opportunity to be the first to prove that if we can achieve peace, we can become such a prosperous country. We have an obligation and a responsibility to live up to this." If this plan is successful, it will be possible to say that Japan has contributed to international cooperation by resolving this type of conflict through economics, rather than politics and the military."

From the August 2008 issue of the Student Newspaper