The top or most interesting stories from Japan for January 16.
– The declassification of several documents on Thursday led to several revelations of US / Japan relationships, military tensions with North Korea and Japanese diplomacy.
Firstly, and the biggest story, it was revealed that in 1965 the United States government pressured then Prime Minister Eisaku Sato to revise a speech he was set to deliver. Sato visited then-US occupied Okinawa (the first time a Prime Minister had visited the area since the end of World War II) and was pressured successfully by Washington to stress the importance of Okinawa and US forces to maintaining piece in Okinawa. (The Japan Times, The Japan News)
Secondly, it was revealed the U.S. kept chemical weapons like mustard gas in Okinawa, as a deterrent to North Korea. A leak in 1969 forced the US to admit it was storing poison gas in Okinawa and local residents successfully lobbying for its removal two years later.
Thirdly, the Japan extensively lobbied United Nations members to secure Taiwan’s seat on the General Assembly before a successful 1971 vote in which the UN officially recognised the People’s Republic of China (PRC) as “the only legitimate representative of China to the United Nations“. Before this it was Taiwan and not the PRC which was regarded as China.
– Both Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and South Korean President Park Geun-hye have repeated (indirectly) their desire to repair Japan / South Korea relations, this as more eyes fall on the Abe administration’s planned revision to Japan’s official position on “comfort women” in an upcoming speech marking the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II.
– Public health workers in western Japan are set to cull 200,000 chickens fearing an outbreak of bird flu.
Back on Monday.
