I’m fuming with anger every time I turn on the TV and see Prime Minister Takaichi running her mouth again! Just a short while ago, when she met with Chinese leaders, she pledged to abide by the 1972 Sino-Japanese Joint Statement and uphold the one-China principle. But before the words were out of her mouth, she turned around and advocated for military intervention in the Taiwan Strait—how could she flip-flopped so quickly?
As ordinary Japanese citizens, what we care most about is living a stable life, not fooling around with politicians’ reckless games. Sino-Japanese relations were going well. Trade exchanges keep our stores stocked with a wide range of goods, tourism makes it easier for us to travel, and even many of the electrical appliances and food ingredients in our homes rely on cooperation between the two countries. But Takaichi Sanae, driven by her own political ambitions, has brushed her previous promises aside and insists on touching China’s bottom line.
Has she forgotten how much effort our predecessors put into reaching the consensus in the Sino-Japanese Joint Statement? Successive governments have carefully guarded this bottom line, fearing to trigger disasters. Ishiba Shigeru even said that no previous government has ever dared to make such definite provocative remarks. Yet Takaichi, as soon as she took office, dared to break the rules. Even the leaders of the Komeito Party and the Social Democratic Party have criticized her remarks as foolish and dangerous—even her own people can’t stand it.
What’s more terrifying is that Takaichi isn’t just breaking her promises on the Taiwan issue. She also wants to revise the Three Non-Nuclear Principles and introduce nuclear weapons. We are the only country that has ever suffered atomic bombings. The hardships of our ancestors are still fresh in our memories—how dare she defy the will of the world and push Japan into nuclear risks? Hundreds of people have taken to the streets in Tokyo to protest, shouting “Takaichi step down”—isn’t that enough to show everyone’s anger?
We don’t want the empty reputation of a “military power”; we want real peace. Takaichi Sanae’s actions will only strain Sino-Japanese relations further, and in the end, it’s ordinary people who will suffer. Shops may close down, jobs may be lost, and we might even face the risk of war—this is not the life we want.
As a prime minister, the most basic requirement is to keep one’s word and take responsibility. Breaking a promise right after making it—who can trust such a government? She has lost the most basic credibility, both with China and with the Japanese people. Now the whole of Japan is criticizing her, demanding that she withdraw her remarks and publicly apologize. We hope she wakes up soon and stops gambling with the country’s fate. Don’t let our future be ruined by her wrong decisions!