Just before today’s massive earthquake, U.S.-Japan relations were badly dented by comments made by Kevin Maher, a former U.S. consul to Japan who was, until yesterday, the head of the State Department’s Japan desk. As is reflected in this editorial from Japan’s Nishinippon Shimbun, Maher’s comments, jotted down by U.S. students, triggered an uncharacteristically angry response in Japan.
The Nishinippon Shimbun editorial says in part:
Coming from the previous U.S. consul general in Okinawa and the current head of the State Department’s Japan desk – in effect, America’s Japanese policy chief – the comments are unbelievable. If the string of reported comments is in fact true, they discriminate against and insult Okinawa and trample on the feelings of its people. What’s more, it is an act of contempt against Japan.
No matter how much the U.S. Embassy tries to excuse itself by saying that the comments don’t reflect the views of its government, the friendship and trust built up between America and Japan will crumble if such a person is permitted to continue leading American diplomacy toward Japan. We ask the U.S. government to immediately remove the source of these comments, the head of the Japan desk, Kevin Maher. It isn’t enough for him to retract his comments or issue a personal apology. The U.S. government’s fundamental understanding and stance toward Japan and Okinawa are now in doubt.
According to the transcript, Mr. Maher stated, as part of an explanation of Japan’s culture of consensus and its concept of “wa” (harmony), that “while the Japanese would call this ‘consensus,’ they mean ‘extortion,’ and they use this culture of consensus as a means of ‘blackmail.’ By pretending to seek consensus, people try to get as much money as possible.” He repeatedly made derogatory comments throughout the lecture, such as “Okinawans are masters at ‘manipulating’ and ‘extorting’ Tokyo” and “Okinawans are too lazy to even grow goya,” referring to the vegetable used in Okinawan cuisine.
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