Book Review:
A Diary of the
Normalization of Sino-Japanese Relations: 1970s Japan from a perspective of a
Chinese Diplomat and Correspondent
by Tai-ping Wang
This paper is a brief synopsis of Tai-ping Wang's diary. Tai-ping
Wang was sent to Tokyo by China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In Tokyo, he was
a correspondent of the Beijing Daily.
The diary is a primary source of the history of the normalization of
diplomatic relations between Japan and China. In Japan he hosted Japanese mass
media personnel as well as had LDP members and business leaders visit him as
informants. The diary also included his interviews with new-leftist students,
workers, and farmers.
The diary documents observations of economically growing Japan. It
also shows Chinese government view of Japanese minorities and Wang's curiosity
about Japanese women gaining power in society.
On October 21st 1970, International Anti-War Day, Japanese women
wearing helmets demonstrated with posters stating: "The State's Treasury
should pay the cost of artificial miscarriage," and "Mom, is there really
a happy marriage?" The journal states that on the 20th anniversary of the
foundation of the Self-Defense Army in November 1970, women in the Japanese Self-Defense
Army crew wore mini-skirts and marched along Ginza Street.
The journal warns Japan's tendency toward hegemony and militarism at
that time. It addresses Japanese problems: pollution, transportation, migrant
workers, harsh entrance examination competition, and monetarism. Current
relations between Japan and China seem to be reverse. Things have changed in
the 40 years since Mr. Tai-ping’s diary.
As Mr. Tai-ping’s diary notes, the sculpture commemorating a former
chair of the socialist party who was killed when giving a speech by a rightist in
Tokyo Metropolitan Hibiya Public Hall has been hidden for many years. While supervising
the translation of the journal, I visited Hibiya Public Hall and asked about
the sculpture’s present location. They reluctantly unlocked the billboard of a
wall in the hall, which housed the sculpture and an epitaph.
For those who lived and were aware during the early Seventies, Mr.
Tai-ping’s book may offer new insights. They will likely remember events that
were not included in Mr. Tai-ping’s book.
Reviewed by Aiko Fukuoka, chief translator
Translated by Atsuko Ishikawa
1 comment:
How timely to me and us 300,000 American men and women in the US Nat'l ERA Alliance is the Mayor's miserable comment. I was honored by an interview by the Tokyo Shimbun recently. Topic was the possible changing/updating? of Japan's Constitution. Two issues launching that challenge seem to be the military and gender-equal treatment. I have been promoting the 90 year old, unratified USA Equal Rights Amendment for past 13 years before Florida legislature 18hrs/day for 7 days a week. For Free, for all, male AND female tho females get the brunt of rampant sex discrimination. THAT would be made A VIOLATION OF THE US CONSTITUTION in many cases, when passed. Tough job though, as our Republican Party has morphed into a kind of extremist anti-woman cult that refuses all logic and ignores male and female needs and potentially huge contributions, esp. women's, once freed for full personhood and self-determination. ONE big result found by other nations already passing gender-equal treatment is THAT SOME OF THOSE NATIONS EXPERIENCED A LEAP IN GDP (gross domestic product) OF NINE PERCENT!
But here in USA, logic and research studies are like simple butterflies unnoticed on a twig!
I and my organization hereby wish to offer to Japanese women, girls, men, boys my mentorship in forging a changed constitution that brings women together in gender-equal treatment, increases satisfying cuddling, less arguing and marital harmony while boosting the economy!
Who could be against it? But it WILL be hard to do. Here's my email (English please): SandyO@PassERA.org, and our site, www.2PassERA.org--see especially at page-top "FACTS for Legislators/lawmakers". Bullet points to stop the bullying, lying and denial of human rights to both genders, esp. long-suffering females.
Write ME: sandyo@PassERA.org. See: www.2PassERA.org
And let that Japanese Mayor know that you won't stand for such demeaning, antique language from him or anyone!
HOW CAN WE AMERICAN ACTIVISTS HELP YOU? WE ARE GLAD TO BE OF SERVICE AS WE STRUGGLE AS YOU WILL, I THINK! Sandy Oestreich, President; Former elected US official; Professor; Nurse Practitioner; Co-author, internationally distributed pharmacology reference texts; Happy Mom and Wife with lots of successful mentoring experience. Just none yet from across the Pacific Ocean but my arms are open to help. Write me.
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