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On October 7th, 2004, Ambassador Hiroyasu
Ando traveled to Yale University to address the
US-Japan Relationship.
Remarks by Ambassador Hiroyasu Ando At Yale University October 7, 2004
Good morning, Professor Kelly, Professor Hamada,
ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for inviting me to
your beautiful campus today, the home of so many
gifted students and professors, both presidential
candidates, and, of course the famous bulldog,
Handsome Dan!
It's very exciting to be at Yale. For years, Japan
has enjoyed strong ties with this great
university. In fact, I did a little research and I
was surprised to discover that back in 1937 Yale
named the first Japanese person to a major
American academic faculty. His name was Kanichi
Asakawa. He was a historian who began his teaching
career at Yale in 1907.
He had quite an interesting story. As a junior
high school student in Japan, back in the 1880s,
Mr. Asakawa dedicated himself to learning English.
Each day, he would memorize two pages of his
Japanese-English dictionary - and then rip them
out -- and swallow them! Eventually he consumed
the entire dictionary. It worked. He got the best
grades in his class, and he delivered his
graduation address in perfect English!
But seriously, I am very happy to be here and to
have this opportunity to brief you on the state of
our economy, as well as some important challenges,
both domestic and foreign, that Japan faces in
this new century. I'd then like to end by
discussing the current state of Japan-U.S.
relations.
But before I begin, I must mention Prime Minister
Koizumi's recent visit to New York. As you may
know, he addressed the United Nations General
Assembly. He stressed the need for a strong and
effective UN, one that will meet the challenges of
the 21st century; what he calls "a new United
Nations for a new era".
Part of his vision of a "new UN" is the expansion
of the Security Council to include a permanent
seat for Japan. It is a role that we are ready to
assume. Japan's contribution to the U.N. budget is
second only to the U.S.. Japan is one of the
world's major foreign aid donors. And we are a
leader in humanitarian and reconstruction
activities around the globe. It is time that the
UN reflects the reality of today's world and
recognizes Japan's contributions, which are
increasingly important to maintain international
peace and security.
By the way, the Prime Minister's trip to New York
wasn't all work. He also traveled to the Bronx to
take in a Yankees-Red Sox game, and he had the
chance to throw out the first pitch to Hideki
Matsui.
In Japan, Prime Minister Koizumi's nickname is
"Lion Heart". That's not just for his impressive
mane of hair; it is also for his commitment to
reform. Since coming into office four years ago,
he has pushed a program of structural reform. It
is aimed at improving Japan's ailing economy, and
allowing us to meet the challenges of the 21st
century. He recently reshuffled his cabinet and
added young reform minded individuals. He dubbed
it- sorry for the stiff translation; it sounds
better in Japanese - "the cabinet aimed at
realizing reform."
Since the bubble burst in the early nineties,
Japan has experienced a long and infamously
stagnant economy. Today, our policies, including
belt-tightening measures and efforts to dispose of
non-performing loans, are beginning to pay off. In
2003 our economy grew at its fastest rate in 13
years. For 2004 Japan's growth is projected at
4.4.% -- the best among advanced nations. In fact,
for the first time since the bubble burst, Japan's
growth rate is expected to surpass that of the
United States.
But we are not out of the woods yet. Some recent
figures show a slight downturn from earlier highs.
But overall, the long-term indicators remain
positive. There is confidence among consumers and
manufacturers. Our exports are up - especially to
Asia. There is a genuine sense of renewed energy
and optimism. And Japan remains well positioned
for the future. We are at the forefront of the
development of 21st century technologies like
biotech, robotics, hybrid engines, nanotechnology,
and solar energy.
After many years of false starts, Japan's economy
is on the upswing. The New York Times columnist
Thomas Friedman may have put it best. He recently
wrote the "sick man of Asia", "just jumped out of
bed and is running laps around the hospital"!
Japan's economic recovery will help power the
entire Asian region, and the world's economy.
Speaking of Asia, Japan welcomes the dynamic
growth of our neighbor China. China's emergence is
not a threat to Japan, but rather a remarkable
opportunity. Thanks to its open trade policy,
foreign joint ventures account for more than half
of China's surging imports and exports. China is
already Japan's second largest trading partner
after the United States. Our trade with China
increased by 30% last year alone. And our
investment there has tripled in just five years.
Through international organizations like the WTO,
Japan is encouraging China to become a fully
"rule-based" open market economy, one that will
produce stable and sustainable growth. My
government will also continue to make its best
efforts to promote the growth of democracy and
human rights in China.
In this era of globalization, cooperation is key.
Through organizations like the WTO, APEC and ASEM
Japan is taking the lead to promote economic
development and open trade throughout Asia. We are
establishing free trade agreements. We've already
concluded a pact with Singapore, and have reached
basic agreement with Mexico. We are also
negotiating a free trade agreement with another
key partner, our close neighbor South Korea. We
are working towards similar pacts with Thailand,
Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Our goal
is to eventually conclude agreements with all
ASEAN member countries. The Prime Minister has
even advocated eventually forming an "East
AsianCommunity".
These are all very positive developments. Yet,
make no mistake, much work remains to be done. As
we enter this new century, Japan faces real
challenges, both domestic and international. These
will require continued reform, innovation, and a
redoubling of our efforts.
On top of the difficult task of keeping our
economic recovery on track, Japan has long-term
domestic challenges. Like much of the developed
world, we have an aging society. In thirty years
time, a third of Japan's population will be senior
citizens. Combined with a low-birth rate, this
trend has important implications for our public
spending, our infrastructure, our healthcare, and
our pension system -- in short, our society as a
whole. As it currently stands, this is an
untenable situation. The beneficiaries of our
pension and social security are growing, while
those working and paying in are steadily
decreasing. That is why we are working hard to
establish a sustainable structure of
intergenerational support.
Japan's aging society presents a steep challenge.
But it is also an opportunity. Advances in
biotechnology, medicine -- even robotics -- will
help our society adapt and prosper. Developments
in human genome research, biotechnology and
nanotechnology may lead to a golden age of
medicines that will revolutionize quality of life
for seniors in the next century.
On the international front - and at home in Japan
- we recognize terrorism as one of the greatest
security threats of the 21st century. Japan is
resolutely committed to the fight against terror.
After September 11, we enacted special domestic
terrorism measures and passed laws allowing our
Self Defense Forces to support military operations
in Afghanistan. We deployed SDF naval vessels and
aircraft in support of U.S. and allied forces.
This was a major step: for the first time since
World War II, Japan dispatched forces to assist in
an overseas military operation. In fact, Japan
supplied some 30 to 40% of the fuel consumed by
U.S. and allied naval vessels during the campaign
against Al Qaeda and the Taliban.
After the war ended, Japan became a leader in
Afghan reconstruction efforts. Since 2001, we have
given $810 million in aid. We organized several
international donor meetings, and we are promoting
disarmament efforts that will bring the vital
stability needed for Afghanistan's future,
particularly as it prepares for upcoming
elections.
Today, as part of our long-term and comprehensive
Mid-East policy, Japan is committed to a safe and
secure Iraq. Iraq and its region are of vital
interest to us. Japan depends on the Middle East
for nearly 90% of our oil supplies. We understand
that the world community must restore political
and economic stability in Iraq, or the costs will
be enormous.
Japan is working closely with the international
community, the United States and our partners in
Europe and the Arab world. We have already pledged
5 billion dollars in reconstruction aid to Iraq.
$1.16 billion of that has been disbursed for
Iraq's electricity, sanitation, health, and
security infrastructure. We have also sent our
largest oversees deployment of troops since World
War II to undertake humanitarian and
reconstruction activities. Our Self Defense Forces
are hard at work reconstructing schools, roads and
hospitals in the south of the country.
We are cooperating with our European and Arab
allies in the fields of police training, medical
assistance, culture and sports. Along with France,
we are rehabilitating the Iraqi National Museum,
the National Library and National Archives. With
Germany we will assist the training of the police
forces. There is also a joint Japan-Egypt medical
training course in Cairo, and with Jordan we are
sponsoring technical training to rebuild the
electricity infrastructure.
We are donating sports equipment and uniforms, and
even episodes of one of Japan's most popular
television programs, Oshin - a historical drama
that tells the story of everyday Japanese putting
their lives back together in immediate post-war
Japan. All of these efforts combined will help the
Iraqi people improve their daily lives and build a
safer and more prosperous future.
Closer to home, Japan is faced with a grave
security threat: North Korea and its nuclear
ambitions. North Korea has implied that it has
nuclear weapons and that it plans to develop more.
Just recently, it publicly claimed to have a
so-called "deterrent" capability. If this were not
alarming enough, North Koreas ballistic missiles
pose a serious threat to Japan. In 1998 North
Korea test-fired a missile over Japanese
territory. Imagine for a moment if Cuba shot a
missile over Florida. Today, North Korean missiles
can reach every major city in Japan.
To make matters worse, North Korea's leader Kim
Jong-Il acknowledged that his country abducted
Japanese citizens. To date, we have confirmed the
kidnapping of fifteen Japanese individuals. Five
of the fifteen returned home to Japan for the
first time in 24 years, but the fate of the
remaining individuals and their families remains
unclear. The abduction issue, along with the
North's dangerous nuclear ambitions, remains a
major impediment to relations with North Korea.
We seek a peaceful resolution to the crisis with
the North Korea, and a stable Korean Peninsula.
But a peaceful solution does not mean a pacifist
solution. Because of North Korea's threatening and
unpredictable behavior, the Japanese public
supports moves to increase Japan's defense
capabilities to maintain the nation's security.
Just recently we approved a plan to introduce
U.S.-developed missile defense shields.
Our approach to dealing with North Korea is a
policy of concerted "dialogue and pressure". We
must convince the North that there is no benefit
to pursuing nuclear arms. We are working with our
partners in South Korea and the United States, as
well as with North Korea's neighbors, China and
Russia, to find a solution.
I would like to turn now specifically to Japan-U.S.
relations. I hope you've heard by now: that this
year we are celebrating the 150th anniversary of
official ties between our two nations. Of course,
Yale was already 135 years old when Commodore
Perry sailed his Black Ships into Tokyo Bay, but
this is an important historic milestone, just the
same!
The late Senator Michael Mansfield, former U.S.
Ambassador to Japan, once said that ours is "the
most important bilateral relationship in the
world, bar none." He understood how we are bound
by a common belief in democracy and human rights;
how we are dependent upon each other as the
world's two largest economies; and how we have a
shared commitment to peace and stability around
the world.
The Japan-U.S. Security alliance is widely
recognized -- not just by the leaders of our two
countries, but also by leaders throughout the
Asia-Pacific area -- as the "cornerstone" of
stability in the Asia region. Our special security
framework is the political foundation for Japan-U.S.
cooperative relations in the international
community. Today, Japan's responsibility within
the alliance is growing. We contribute close to
75% of total U.S. basing costs -- that's more than
any other American ally.
Japan and the U.S. have the world's two largest
economies. Together we account for almost 50% of
global GDP. Japan is one of the top destinations
for American exports, behind only Canada and
Mexico. For its part, the U.S. accounts for 41% of
outside investment in Japan, making it, by far,
our largest foreign investor. The United States is
Japan's largest trading partner. And the U.S. is
the number one destination for Japan's foreign
direct investment. Of the $366 billion dollars
invested overseas, the United States accounted for
41% in 2003. Put simply the United States and
Japan share an unrivaled level of economic
interdependence and economic interests.
What a change from the days of trade frictions
that characterized our economic relations back in
the Eighties and early Nineties. Of course, that
era ended when Japan's economy overheated and the
bubble burst. U.S. industries successfully
rebounded and met the quality challenges of
Japanese imports. And for our part, Japanese firms
transferred production to the United States,
investing in America and creating American jobs.
Today, Japan's overall direct investment is
responsible for 800,000 American jobs. When you
purchase a car from Toyota, which produces more
than one million automobiles in North America, it
was probably built right here.
For their part, American corporations have made
significant inroads in Japan, particularly IT,
insurance, investment and financial service firms.
In this era of globalization and economic
interdependence we have a significantly more
complex relationship. But complexity is a good
thing, because it means we share many of the same
economic interests.
You might have noticed another trend in our
relationship: Japan's growing cultural influence.
Japan has long absorbed elements of American
culture, but lately we are seeing the reverse is
true as well. Diplomats like to use fancy terms
like "soft power". But it really means the growing
popularity of things like manga and anime,
Japanese movies and baseball stars, characters
like Pokemon, -- and yes -- even Hello Kitty!
Some refer to this effect as "Japan's Gross
National Cool". It points to the fact that despite
our well known economic problems of the past
decade, Japan's cultural influence has grown. As
one journalist put it, (Quote) "From pop music to
consumer electronics, architecture to fashion, and
animation to cuisine, Japan looks more like a
cultural superpower today than it did in the
1980s, when it was an economic one."
The effect is hard to miss. Take New York City,
where I live. In Manhattan alone there are now
hundreds of sushi bars - some better than others!
Japanese architects are changing the city skyline.
Yoshio Taniguchi designed the Museum of Modern
Art's new building. Fumihiko Maki is working on
the World Trade Center and designing a new United
Nations' building.
Earlier today, I watched a young talented Japanese
violinist, Sayaka Shoji, at an open rehearsal with
the New York Philharmonic. Over the past few
years, Japan-inspired movies like The Ring, Kill
Bill, Lost in Translation, The Last Samurai,
filled theaters. Miyazaki's film Spirited Away won
an Oscar for Best Animated Feature. Last year,
another critically acclaimed Japanese film, The
Twilight Samurai, was nominated for a Best Foreign
Language Film. Zatoichi, Takeshi Kitano's take on
the legendary blind swordsman, was a popular art
house draw. This week I'm attending an event with
the Japanese director of Shall We Dance, his hit
movie has just been remade and stars Richard Gere
and Jennifer Lopez. This summer, for the first
time in many years, Kabuki came to New York. It
was extremely well received by critics and
audiences alike. And last year, even Bob Dylan
caused a stir when it was discovered that he
"borrowed" lyrics for his last album from a
Japanese author.
And then there are the baseball players. In the
world of sports, no fan could miss the impact that
Japanese players are making in the Major League.
Today the Yankees and Mets both boast Japanese
sluggers named Matsui. Last night, Hideki Mastui's
sacrifice fly scored the winning run for the
Yankees in the division series. And of course,
last week the Mariner's Ichiro Suzuki shattered
the Major League's 84-year-old single season
hitting record- a truly extraordinary achievement!
The New York Times carried an excellent Op-Ed
piece about the meaning of the Ichiro phenomenon
in Japan and America. It included this quote from
the Asahi Shimbun: "Japanese were once seen in the
United States as 'faceless people" obsessed with
exporting cars and electronics. The excellent play
of the Japanese baseball players and their
positive personalities have changed the American
image of Japanese."
Time will tell. But I do believe there is a
fundamental change underway. Ask a member of the
older generation for their impressions of Japan;
they will recall the war. For the next generation
it is trade disputes, "buy American" campaigns, or
images of Japan Inc.'s hard working "salarymen".
But, more and more, when it comes to Japan,
today's young people picture edgy, "cool" culture
- things like fashion, design, animation, video
games, films, and baseball.
I think this is important. We live in a world
where our cultural and economic spheres are
meeting as never before. Like the United States,
Japan is developing its information based and
creativity based economies. This global world
depends not only on the free flow of goods, but
also on the free flow of culture and ideas.
Since Perry's visit a century-and-a-half ago, our
influence on each other has been described by one
commentator as being like an oscillating wave
across the Pacific; a constant ebb and flow of
culture and ideas that drift off and return home,
changed in new and unexpected ways. It is exciting
to imagine what the next 150 years will bring.
Put quite simply, our relationship is stronger and
closer than ever before. I believe our enduring
partnership, buttressed by a Japan that is
increasing its role in the world, and by a growing
shared cultural landscape, will continue to be the
foundation of our mutual success.
Ladies and gentlemen, I began today by talking
about Professor Asakawa. He was a great champion
of our special relationship -- even during the
darkest days before the start of WWII. Today his
remains are buried not far from here, as well as
back in Fukushima, Japan. But I didn't finish the
story about his dictionary.
After he ate all the pages of his book, he planted
the front and back covers at the foot of a cherry
tree in his schoolyard. That tree survives to this
day. It is known as "Asakawa-zakura" (that means
Asakawa's cherry tree). I like to think of it as a
wonderful living tribute to a young dreamer who
learned a language in order to explore the world;
who traveled to America - and to Yale - and who
came to believe deeply in the power of our
friendship. He knew that together so much could be
achieved. I hope his story will continue to
inspire us.
I thank you for giving me the chance to speak to
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