Japan’s Not an Inept Country, Not Yet a Permanent

Knowing her immaturity, Britney Spears sings: “… I am not a girl, not yet a

woman. All I need is time…” Likewise, after prospering for decades, Japan is now

desperate to earn a permanent seat in United Nations Security Council. However, the

Japanese don’t know the liability that is keeping their country from the seat.

The United Nations developed six main organs since coming into existence after

World War II. Among those organs, the Security Council is the most influential one.

While the others can only make recommendations or suggestions to governments, this

organ has the authority to make decisions that the member countries of the United

Nations are obliged to implement. It consists of fifteen members; currently China, France,

Russia, the United Kingdom, and the United States are permanent members. Each is

granted veto power to forbid an action even if the other fourteen members are in favor.

Therefore, the permanent members are the most powerful members. Holding a position of

permanent membership symbolizes a country’s high distinction in international politics.

However, it is noticeable that all the present permanent members are also victors from

World War II. Some countries, such as Germany and Japan, have made profound

contributions to the United Nations and to the world today, but were not on the Allies’

side in World War II, and are excluded. Also, there are no African permanent members in

the Security Council. Consequently, an expansion of permanent seats has been on the

United Nations’ agenda.

Japan has been considered the most likely candidate since they are the second

largest contributor to United Nations’ budget (20%), and one of the largest donor of

Official Development Assistance (ODA) – a category of development aid. Junichiro

Koizumi, the Prime Minister of Japan, formally requested a permanent seat in UNSC,

because “the role Japan has played provides a solid basis for its assumption of permanent

membership of the Security Council,” and cited Japan’s reconstruction efforts in Iraq,

Afghanistan and East Timor and its involvement in seeking a resolution to the North

Korean nuclear crisis. Realizing it is hard to bid for the admission alone, Japan united

three other prospective countries – Brazil, Germany, and India – which are also highly

interested in the permanent seats. Known as the G4, these four countries officially

declared they would support each other’s bids on September 21, 2004, the day before the

proposal. Meanwhile, Japan has been asking the United States for support. Fortunately

for the Japanese, the United States “unambiguously supports a permanent seat for Japan

on the United Nations Security Council,” according to U.S. Secretary of State

Condoleezza Rice.

Japan has also increased the endeavor on improving its international image using

a variety of diplomatic means since the formal proposal. Koizumi requested that all the

incumbent Japanese ambassadors publicize Japan’s peace-oriented policies worldwide.

Besides sending more peace-keeping troops to major war zones, the Japanese government

is also trying to be a mediator between Israel and Palestine in hopes of winning votes

from Middle Eastern countries. With the intention of building up an Afro-Japan

relationship, the Japanese government increased the financial aid to many African

countries. What’s more, ignoring the censure from domestic right-wing group, Koizumi

attended Russia’s 60th anniversary of victory in World War II in Moscow, which

promoted the image of a more peaceful Japan rather than a militaristic country. With
support from Malaysia, France, Finland, and many other countries coming one after

another, it seems that Japan’s exertion in lobbying has paid off.

Yet in Asia, Japan was facing the overwhelming opposition, most of which came

from China and both North and South Korea. Although Japan has done a great deal to

increase the country’s international image, it is not surprising that there are deeply rooted

anti-Japanese sentiments in those countries. In the Sino-Japanese war alone, Japan

committed more than 10 million Chinese deaths. The more appalling fact is that the

Japanese troops inhumanly slaughtered 300 thousand surrendered soldiers and

defenseless civilians including children and pregnant women, after conquered Nanjing,

the former Chinese capital. The following is excerpted from Iris Chang’s The Rape of

Nanking, describing the Japanese atrocities

“…When the city fell on December 13, 1937, Japanese soldiers began an

orgy of cruelty seldom if ever matched in world history. Tens of thousands of

young men were rounded up and herded to the outer areas of the city, where

they were mowed down by machine guns, used for bayonet practice, or soaked

with gasoline and burned alive…” (31)

The notorious Nanjing Massacre, however, was taught to Japanese high school

students as an incident that had happened due to “fierce resistance.” The Japanese

government has also been ambiguous about the number of victims in that tragedy. Under

Japanese textbook censorship, the nefarious atrocities done by the Japanese Army in Asia

seem milder. Responsibility for the aggression is pinned on the Chinese. The Nanjing
Massacre is not the only issue that the Japanese government tries to cover up. Japanese

officials insist that the accusation against the infamous Unit 731, a camp where living

people were dissected to perform germ experiments, lacks validity. It was not until 1992

that the Japanese government admitted the fact that they had set up “comfort women”

program, in which innumerable Chinese and Korean women were forced into prostitution.

Japanese officials not only refuse to face their dishonorable history, but even worship the

criminals who committed such evil deeds. As a Prime Minister, Junichiro Koizumi

visited the Yasukuni Shrine five times, which is dedicated to Japanese soldiers who died

in war, which houses 14 class-A war criminals. While many Asian countries had

censured such actions, their people demonstrated their fury by protests and manifestations.

Other than showing slogans, the outraged protesters did things such as burning Japanese

flags, throwing objects at the Japanese embassies. Some even destroyed and set Japanese

brand automobiles on fire. A Korean veteran cut off his little finger to show his anger.

Considering what Japanese Army had done to their countries, it was reasonable and

understandable that these people demonstrated their outrage by such irrational means.

Nevertheless, while the United Nations charter sets that the aims of the United Nations

include keeping peace throughout the world, and developing friendly relations between

nations, these protests seem to be too inflammatory to be justified.

Failing to win enough international support, Japan gave up its bid for the

permanent seat in August, 2005. After knowing that the 53-member African Union would

not support the G4’s plan, Japan realized it was impossible for them to get the permanent

seat with only 90 countries’ support, because a minimum of 128 votes are needed. But

Japan has only given up their plan temporarily, which means they will come back to bid
for the permanent seat. Personally, I have signed the petition online to oppose Japan’s

Security Council bid in 2004. I wish Japanese government would consider Germany, the

Prime Minister of which has apologized to the world for the Nazi’s atrocities in World

War II, as a role model and be more courageous in admitting all the atrocities done in

Asia and to give an official apology to those scarred countries. All Britney Spears needs

is time; all Japan needs is the courage to face the history. Otherwise, Japan can never

become a mature country that is qualified for the permanent membership in Security

Council.