In １９５５, Shunichi Kase, a special adviser to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, attended the first Asian-African Conference, attended by ２９ countries, and described the reactions of the countries at the time as follows. The African and Asian countries were warmly welcomed, saying, "Thank you for coming," and "It's all thanks to Japan." They said, "The Greater East Asia Joint Declaration, which outlined Japan's brave struggle for the Asian people and its significance, shines in history."
The head of the Japanese delegation, Tatsunosuke Takasaki, Director-General of the Economic Deliberation Agency, and his party were warmly welcomed by the representatives of newly independent emerging countries in Asia and Africa, and were greeted with warm words one after another. Japan had received an invitation. It was a time when Japan had only just returned to the international community after the end of the occupation, so it was with anxiety that they participated. There were even voices within the government that said they should not participate, but contrary to expectations, they received a warm welcome. Deputy Representative Shunichi Kase accompanied Representative Takasaki at the Asian-African Conference.
Countries that welcomed Japan
The representatives of each country said, "If Japan had not issued the Greater East Asia Declaration, which made the liberation of Asian peoples the purpose of the war, or if Japan had not made sacrifices and fought for Asia, we would still have been a British colony, a Dutch colony, and a French colony. It is because Japan made great sacrifices and fought bravely for the Asian people that Asia exists today."
The following year, Japan joined the United Nations, and Kase became its first UN ambassador. Regarding this, Kase said, "I want to emphasize the fact that the Asian-African Group enthusiastically supported Japan's membership from start to finish. With the great trust and expectations of Asian and African countries, our country has built today's prosperity after the war."
People who created the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration
As secretary to Foreign Minister Shigemitsu, Shunichi Kase participated in the Greater East Asia Conference, which was held in １９４３ and invited representatives from Asian countries, and was a diplomat who wrote the original draft of the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration, which was the core of the conference. Kase also wrote the following in his book ("The Last Testimony of a １０１-Year-Old Who Changed the Showa Era"):
"The war against the United States was a struggle for self-preservation and self-defense, but it liberated Asia, which had been under Western colonial rule for hundreds of years. Foreign Minister Shigemitsu and I painstakingly drafted the original Greater East Asia Declaration three years after the war began.
On the day of the surrender signing ceremony, we did not say such things to each other because we had a sense of pride in the fact that a world-historical battle had ended and Japan had played the role that had been given to it by the history of mankind. Even though it was true that we had lost, we had never lost mentally. That was the determination we had."
"In our country, after the war, the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration was used primarily as a smokescreen by the military to exploit the occupied territories. It is easy to interpret it that way, but the real meaning was to declare Japan's war aims.
In any case, the Asian countries that gained independence because they fought in Japan's previous war still deeply value the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration today. I personally felt that not only Asians, but also African peoples were truly grateful for the colonial liberation movement advocated by Japan when I attended the Asian-African Conference held in Bandung, Indonesia in １９５５ (Showa ３０) as a representative of the Japanese government, and when I visited the United Nations as the first UN ambassador.
It is ironic that the Greater East Asia Joint Declaration is disregarded in Japan, but highly regarded in Asia and Africa. "
So, what do you think? There were people who said that they felt sick just looking at a photo of the Greater East Asia Conference, but you can see how little they studied history. These people only studied history from the perspective of Europe and America, China, and the Korean peninsula, and completely missed the perspective of the war for Japan and the war for Asia. Now, next, I would like to introduce the declaration adopted at the Asian-African Conference.
Respect basic human rights and the principles and aims of the UN Charter
Respect the sovereignty and territorial integrity of all nations
Recognize the equality of all humankind and the equality of all nations, large and small
Do not interfere in the internal affairs of other nations
Respect the right of independent or collective self-defense under the UN Charter
Do not use collective defense for the specific interests of large nations. Also, do not pressure other nations.
Do not invade or threaten to invade or use force to undermine the territorial integrity or political independence of other nations.
Resolve international disputes by peaceful means
Promote mutual interests and cooperation
Respect justice and international obligations
History of colonization
African countries have been trading slaves with the Americas since the mid-１４００s. From the early １８００s, they were colonized by partition from the West.
Colonization of Asian countries began earlier, in the early １５００s, and countries such as Malaysia and Singapore were under colonial rule for over ４００ years.
As Asian countries were being colonized one after another, and the Western hand was finally reaching out to the Korean Peninsula and China, which are just a stone's throw away from Japan, the Greater East Asia War was fought with the aim of expelling the Western powers that had colonized Asia. In Southeast Asia, which had been under Western rule for hundreds of years, the Japanese rule period lasted only two to five years, but during this period each region of Southeast Asia gained national power, learned how to use weapons, how to fight, how to run a country, etc. from Japan, and after Japan was defeated, fought one war after another for independence.
Asia and Africa moving towards independence
After Japan withdrew, Asian countries achieved independence,
１７ African countries achieved independence all at once in １９６０, and １９６０ is said to be the year of Africa. And on December １４ of that year, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the "Declaration Granting Independence to Colonies and Peoples." Then, in １９６４, the Civil Rights Act was enacted in the United States, and state laws that affirmed racial discrimination were abolished. Then, in １９６９, the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination came into force at the United Nations.
Minority Report
Do you realize how biased Japan's postwar education was in this way? The long history of oppression and domination of these colored people, and Japan's war aims, were never spoken of in Japan after the war, and in the international community, they are so-called minority reports. And they have not been generalized in the international community. However, these are clear historical facts that have been witnessed by many colored countries. Even though it is called a minority report, the population of the Asian and African countries that participated in the Bandung Conference was said to be about １.３ billion at the time, and considering that the world population in １９５５ was ２.７ billion, it is a fact that was witnessed by about half of the world's population. The reason why this is not generalized is that it is a developing country, insignificant, and there is no need to hear about it.
With this premise, Japan was warmly welcomed when it participated in the Asian-African Conference. These countries say that thanks to Japan they have decided to take back their own countries. Is this also a wrong version of history?
