Imperial Diplomacy Reassesed
NISHIKAWA Megumi / Senior Editorial Staff Writer, the Mainichi Newspapers
December 3, 2004
It is unsurprising that Japan and overseas countries may have different perspectives and analyses of the same events. I feel, however, that nothing draws these differences in sharper contrast than the subject of Imperial diplomacy.
In Japan the accepted objective of the overseas visits by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress is to promote "international goodwill." Imperial visits are expected to deepen friendship with people from all different fields in the host nation. What is interesting to the Japanese public, therefore, leans towards the non-political: how Their Majesties were received in terms of their personality and whether, through Their Majesties, Japan has become more familiar to that country.
It is telling that many of the journalists of various Japanese media who cover the Imperial Household Agency and follow Their Majesties on their overseas trips belong to the city desk that handles topical news and not to the political or foreign affairs desk. The news consequently tends to focus on 'How warmly the people of the host country received Their Majesties,' or 'The personality of Their Majesties charmed the public'.
Such an interpretation in itself may not be erroneous. Seen from abroad, however, Their Majesties' overseas trips--or Imperial diplomacy—cannot extricate themselves from their 'close links with Japan's foreign policy' and therefore become tinged with political implications. The host countries receive The Emperor as the head of state; sometimes they even attempt to extract political significance from the imperial visit. The imperial visits, in fact, have elicited the kind of diplomatic effect that cannot be obtained through meetings and negotiations between the Government leaders.
What comes to my mind is Their Majesties' official visit to the Netherlands in 2000. Japan rarely thinks of its relationship with the Netherlands in terms of World War II. Yet the fact that 22,000 Dutch prisoners of war and civilians died out of the 130,000 who were detained by the Japanese Army in Indonesia and the fact that some Dutch women were forced to be the so-called 'comfort women' have cast a shadow upon the otherwise excellent economic relationship between the two countries. The Emperor Showa's unofficial visit to the Netherlands in 1971 was encountered with heavy demonstrations. Issues being as it were, the Netherlands long remained the only major Western European country to which the Emperor had never paid a State visit.
The State visit by Their Majesties to the Netherlands in May 2000 on the occasion of the quadricentennial commemorations of Dutch-Japanese relations was so successful that it was said that 'such an effect could not have been achieved by repeated visits of the Prime Minister.' Thorough preparations by both Japanese and Dutch authorities responsible for the visit and solid guidance from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands herself no doubt played a huge role in paving the way for the successful visit. But more than anything else, behaviors of Their Majesties had an ameliorative effect. On this visit Their Majesties talked directly to the Dutch people, expressed "intense grief" suffered by the Dutch war victims at the royal banquet attended by these victims and bowed their heads for a long moment in front of the monument erected in memory of the Dutch war casualties. Such symbolic imperial conducts helped to thaw the bitterness that had remained in the hearts of the Dutch people.
After the war the Emperor has become a symbolic entity separate from politics. As the result, the ensuing Japanese attitude has been to free Their Majesties' overseas visits from political implications. This inclination is especially strong in the Imperial Household Agency. The host countries, on the other hand, tend to read political intent of Japan from the words and behaviors of the Emperor. I, for one, am of the view that the Japanese people at home should appreciate more the positive role played by Imperial diplomacy: a role that far transcends a mere promotion of "goodwill" with foreign peoples.
The writer is Senior Editorial Staff Writer at the Mainichi Newspapers.
In Japan the accepted objective of the overseas visits by Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress is to promote "international goodwill." Imperial visits are expected to deepen friendship with people from all different fields in the host nation. What is interesting to the Japanese public, therefore, leans towards the non-political: how Their Majesties were received in terms of their personality and whether, through Their Majesties, Japan has become more familiar to that country.
It is telling that many of the journalists of various Japanese media who cover the Imperial Household Agency and follow Their Majesties on their overseas trips belong to the city desk that handles topical news and not to the political or foreign affairs desk. The news consequently tends to focus on 'How warmly the people of the host country received Their Majesties,' or 'The personality of Their Majesties charmed the public'.
Such an interpretation in itself may not be erroneous. Seen from abroad, however, Their Majesties' overseas trips--or Imperial diplomacy—cannot extricate themselves from their 'close links with Japan's foreign policy' and therefore become tinged with political implications. The host countries receive The Emperor as the head of state; sometimes they even attempt to extract political significance from the imperial visit. The imperial visits, in fact, have elicited the kind of diplomatic effect that cannot be obtained through meetings and negotiations between the Government leaders.
What comes to my mind is Their Majesties' official visit to the Netherlands in 2000. Japan rarely thinks of its relationship with the Netherlands in terms of World War II. Yet the fact that 22,000 Dutch prisoners of war and civilians died out of the 130,000 who were detained by the Japanese Army in Indonesia and the fact that some Dutch women were forced to be the so-called 'comfort women' have cast a shadow upon the otherwise excellent economic relationship between the two countries. The Emperor Showa's unofficial visit to the Netherlands in 1971 was encountered with heavy demonstrations. Issues being as it were, the Netherlands long remained the only major Western European country to which the Emperor had never paid a State visit.
The State visit by Their Majesties to the Netherlands in May 2000 on the occasion of the quadricentennial commemorations of Dutch-Japanese relations was so successful that it was said that 'such an effect could not have been achieved by repeated visits of the Prime Minister.' Thorough preparations by both Japanese and Dutch authorities responsible for the visit and solid guidance from Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands herself no doubt played a huge role in paving the way for the successful visit. But more than anything else, behaviors of Their Majesties had an ameliorative effect. On this visit Their Majesties talked directly to the Dutch people, expressed "intense grief" suffered by the Dutch war victims at the royal banquet attended by these victims and bowed their heads for a long moment in front of the monument erected in memory of the Dutch war casualties. Such symbolic imperial conducts helped to thaw the bitterness that had remained in the hearts of the Dutch people.
After the war the Emperor has become a symbolic entity separate from politics. As the result, the ensuing Japanese attitude has been to free Their Majesties' overseas visits from political implications. This inclination is especially strong in the Imperial Household Agency. The host countries, on the other hand, tend to read political intent of Japan from the words and behaviors of the Emperor. I, for one, am of the view that the Japanese people at home should appreciate more the positive role played by Imperial diplomacy: a role that far transcends a mere promotion of "goodwill" with foreign peoples.
The writer is Senior Editorial Staff Writer at the Mainichi Newspapers.
The English-Speaking Union of Japan
「皇室外交」
西川 恵 / 毎日新聞社専門編集委員
2004年 12月 3日
同じ出来事でも、日本からと外国から見るのとでは、見え方も、評価も違うのは当然のことだが、皇室外交ほどその落差を感じさせるものもない、と私は思っている。
日本では天皇、皇后両陛下の外国訪問の目的は「国際親善」であり、ホスト国の各界各層の人々と友好を深められることにあると説明される。したがって両陛下の人柄がどう受け止められたか、両陛下を通して日本を身近なものとして向こうの人々に感じ取ってもらえたかという、いうならば非政治的な内容が日本の主たる関心事になる。
宮内庁をカバーし、両陛下の外国訪問に同行する日本のメディア各社の記者の多くが、話題ものを取材する社会部に所属し、政治・外交を担当する記者でないことも象徴的である。この結果、ニュースは「両陛下を温かく迎えるホスト国の人々」「両陛下のお人柄が人々を引きつけた」ということにどうしても焦点が集まりがちになってしまう。
このこと自体、間違いではない。しかし外国から見たとき、天皇、皇后両陛下の外国訪問、つまり皇室外交には「日本外交との関係性」という政治性を含んだ意味合いが加わる。ホスト国は両陛下を日本の元首として迎え、ときには両陛下の訪問から積極的な政治的意味合いを引き出そうとする。実際のところ、両陛下の外国訪問では、首脳レベルの交流や交渉ではなし得ない外交成果が得られている。
私が思い出すのは２０００年の両陛下のオランダ訪問である。日本はオランダとの関係を第二次大戦からの視点で考えたことはあまりない。しかし、日本軍がインドネシアで抑留したオランダ人の戦争捕虜・民間人約13万人のうち約２万２０００人が死亡したことや、オランダ人女性が従軍慰安婦（ｃｏｎｆｏｒｔ ｇｉｒｌ）となった問題は、良好な経済関係の背後で、両国にノドに刺さった骨となっていた。71年に昭和天皇がオランダを非公式訪問されたときは、激しいデモに見舞われ、こうしたこともあって西欧の主要国で、天皇が公式訪問されていないのはオランダだけだった。
日本・オランダ交流４００年記念の２０００年５月の機会をとらえた両陛下のオランダ公式訪問は「日本の首相が何度訪問しても、これだけの成果は上げられない」という成功を収めた。訪問に向けた両国事務当局の周到な準備と、オランダのベアトリックス女王の先頭に立った采配が、訪問環境を整える上で大きく貢献したことは間違いない。しかし何といっても、天皇、皇后陛下がオランダの人々と直接言葉を交わし、オランダの戦争被害者も出席した女王主催晩餐会で「被害者の受けた深い悲しみ」を表明され、戦没者慰霊碑に長々と頭を垂れるといった象徴的行為が、オランダ側の心のしこりを氷解させる上で極めて大きかった。
戦後、天皇は政治から切り離された象徴的存在となり、日本側には天皇、皇后の外国訪問に政治を絡ませたくないという思いがある。とくに宮内庁にはそれが強い。しかしホスト国では天皇の言葉と行為に日本の政治意思を汲み取ろうとする。単なる国際親善を超えて、皇室外交が果たしている積極的役割は、とくに日本国内でもっと評価されるべきと私は思っている。
日本では天皇、皇后両陛下の外国訪問の目的は「国際親善」であり、ホスト国の各界各層の人々と友好を深められることにあると説明される。したがって両陛下の人柄がどう受け止められたか、両陛下を通して日本を身近なものとして向こうの人々に感じ取ってもらえたかという、いうならば非政治的な内容が日本の主たる関心事になる。
宮内庁をカバーし、両陛下の外国訪問に同行する日本のメディア各社の記者の多くが、話題ものを取材する社会部に所属し、政治・外交を担当する記者でないことも象徴的である。この結果、ニュースは「両陛下を温かく迎えるホスト国の人々」「両陛下のお人柄が人々を引きつけた」ということにどうしても焦点が集まりがちになってしまう。
このこと自体、間違いではない。しかし外国から見たとき、天皇、皇后両陛下の外国訪問、つまり皇室外交には「日本外交との関係性」という政治性を含んだ意味合いが加わる。ホスト国は両陛下を日本の元首として迎え、ときには両陛下の訪問から積極的な政治的意味合いを引き出そうとする。実際のところ、両陛下の外国訪問では、首脳レベルの交流や交渉ではなし得ない外交成果が得られている。
私が思い出すのは２０００年の両陛下のオランダ訪問である。日本はオランダとの関係を第二次大戦からの視点で考えたことはあまりない。しかし、日本軍がインドネシアで抑留したオランダ人の戦争捕虜・民間人約13万人のうち約２万２０００人が死亡したことや、オランダ人女性が従軍慰安婦（ｃｏｎｆｏｒｔ ｇｉｒｌ）となった問題は、良好な経済関係の背後で、両国にノドに刺さった骨となっていた。71年に昭和天皇がオランダを非公式訪問されたときは、激しいデモに見舞われ、こうしたこともあって西欧の主要国で、天皇が公式訪問されていないのはオランダだけだった。
日本・オランダ交流４００年記念の２０００年５月の機会をとらえた両陛下のオランダ公式訪問は「日本の首相が何度訪問しても、これだけの成果は上げられない」という成功を収めた。訪問に向けた両国事務当局の周到な準備と、オランダのベアトリックス女王の先頭に立った采配が、訪問環境を整える上で大きく貢献したことは間違いない。しかし何といっても、天皇、皇后陛下がオランダの人々と直接言葉を交わし、オランダの戦争被害者も出席した女王主催晩餐会で「被害者の受けた深い悲しみ」を表明され、戦没者慰霊碑に長々と頭を垂れるといった象徴的行為が、オランダ側の心のしこりを氷解させる上で極めて大きかった。
戦後、天皇は政治から切り離された象徴的存在となり、日本側には天皇、皇后の外国訪問に政治を絡ませたくないという思いがある。とくに宮内庁にはそれが強い。しかしホスト国では天皇の言葉と行為に日本の政治意思を汲み取ろうとする。単なる国際親善を超えて、皇室外交が果たしている積極的役割は、とくに日本国内でもっと評価されるべきと私は思っている。
一般社団法人 日本英語交流連盟