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"GFJ Commentary"
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"GFJ Commentary" presents views of members and friends of GFJ on the relations of Japan with the rest of the world and other related international affairs. The view expressed herein is the author's own and should not be attributed to GFJ.
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Inherent Difficulties of Standing in "Middle of the Road"
By OGATA Rintaro
Member of the House of Representatives
Such phrases as "centrism" or "middle of the road" in politics may be pleasing to the ear. But they are sometimes liable to be confused with innocuous eclecticism. Unless quite unbending in their convictions, proponents of "centrism" or "middle of the road" would be easily carried away with an atmosphere of the time. I clearly remember an interesting episode once told by Prof. BABA Yasuo in his class on "European Political History."
There was a phenomenon called "surenchere" (overbid), which became quite manifest in French politics from the late 19th century to the mid-20th century. That is, in France in those days, politicians and political parties whose initial standing was "far-left" increasingly shifted rightward as time went by. Probably, leftist values were considered "intellectual" at that time. New-born political factions occupied the far-left position one after another, thereby driving away the established far-left forces into "relatively right" positions.
Georges CLEMANCEAU, then Prime Minister of France, who played a leading role in the World War I and made possible the Treaty of Versailles may be a lucid example. He began his political career from the far-left position and shifted to the right at the end of his life. Besides, there were some conservative political parties which bore names including such words as "radical" or "progressive." Those parties were initially leftist but were eventually driven away to the right.
It seems that "surenchere" can also be observed in today's Japanese politics. This time, however, political dynamics flow from the right to the left, though it is difficult to explain why so. In Japan, with rise of rightist parties of new kinds, the conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) seems to have been pushed toward the "centrist position." Such being the case, the Abe administration is, to some extent, successful in accommodating the centrist dint, while clearly based in the rightist position.
Accordingly, centrist parties come under pressure toward the left. But at the farthest left sits the Japan Communist Party (JCP). Easy commitment to centrism without any efforts to resist this pressure of "surenchere" in today's Japan would end up narrowing the range of activities of the centrist force between LDP stretching to the center and JCP anchored at the left end.
Frankly speaking, I would rather not align any political creeds in a line of political spectrum stretching from the right to the left. Nor, would I be willing to commit to such positioning. Nevertheless, I introduced this model as an analytical tool, as it seems applicable to examine the current Japanese politics. In conclusion with some supplement to the foregoing, I would suggest that the essence of centrism is (1) to avoid eclecticism, (2) to define clearly what the centrist values are, and (3) (in view of the current Japanese politics) to resist the leftward pressure coming from the right.
(This is the English translation of an article written by OGATA Rintaro, Member of the House of Representatives, which originally appeared on the e-Forum "Giron-Hyakushutsu" of GFJ on January 30, 2015.)
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For more views and opinions in the backnumber of "GFJ Commentary," the latest of which are as follows, please refer to:
http://www.gfj.jp/eng/commentary/backnumber.html
No.59 Japan as the Key Actor to Strengthen US-Indian Partnership
by TAKAMINE Koushu, Research Fellow, Okazaki Institute
(17 February 2015)
No.58 Dual Tends of Great Power Aspiration and Micro-Nationalism
by NAKAMURA Jin, former National Paper Writer
(22 December 2014)
No.57 How to Cleanse Asahi's Widespread "Misreports" on Comfort Women
by SUGIURA Masaaki, Political Commentator
(23 October 2014)
No.56 Public Diplomacy Reconsidered
by CHINO Keiko, Journalist
(28 August 2014)
No.55 New Putin Doctrine: Prelude to "New Cold War"?
by IIJIMA Kazutaka, Journalist
(26 June 2014)
No.54 "The Ideal of Soft Power Diplomacy for a Liberal International Order"
by SAKAI Nobuhiko, Director of Japan Institute of Nationalism Studies and former Professor of the University of Tokyo
(31 March 2013)
"GFJ Updates"
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"GFJ Updates" introduces to you the latest events, announcements and/or publications of GFJ.
Announcement
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The Second Japan-GUAM Dialogue "The Japan-GUAM Relationship in the Changing World"
The Global Forum of Japan (GFJ), under the co-sponsorship with GUAM-Organization for Democracy and Economic Development, will convene the Second Japan-GUAM Dialogue "The Japan-GUAM Relationship in the Changing World" in Tokyo on July 17, 2015.
This dialogue will feature Prof. MUTSUSHIKA Shigeo of University of Shizuoka and Mr. KAKIZAWA Mito, Member of the House of Representatives, from the Japanese side, and Mr. Valeri CHECHELASHVILI, Secretary General of GUAM, and Dr. Ioan Mircea PASCU, Vice President of European Parliament, from the GUAM side.
http://www.gfj.jp/j/dialogue/20150717_program.pdf
The GFJ will invite 20 readers of the GFJ E-letter to the Dialogue. Should you wish to attend the Dialogue, please inform us of (1) your name, (2) affiliation, (3) title, (4) phone number, and (5) e-mail address via e-mail ( dialogue@gfj.jp ) by July 10. We will send an "Invitation Ticket" to the first 20 applicants via e-mail by July 12. If an "Invitation Ticket" is not sent to you by then, please understand that you are not included in our invitation list this time. Please note that English-Japanese simultaneous interpretation will be provided at the Dialogue.
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