Former ambassador to U.S. calls for Japan to take risk in order to gain

Japan Press Weekly

Japan Press Service Co., Ltd. is the only news agency providing information of progressive, democratic movements in Japan

Former ambassador to U.S. calls for Japan to take risk in order to gain

At a meeting at ruling Liberal Democratic Party headquarters on July 22, a former Japanese ambassador to the United States said, “The best option for Japan is a high-risk, high-return approach” in developing Japan-U.S. relations.

Kato Ryozo, who served as ambassador to the U.S. from shortly after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001 to May this year, made these remarks during his lecture on “The U.S. political situation and Japan-U.S. relations” before the defense-related panels of the LDP.

Then he immediately added, “I am not saying that Japan should immediately take part in direct military operations and have certain casualties.”

“We should try to avoid war, but at the same time a picturesque Kantian world does not exist. In reality, this world can sometimes be fierce like Hobbes said. Somebody must take up the role of controlling it, and the United States has done just that,” said Kato, praising the U.S. wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

-Akahata, July 24, 2008