Japanese Prime Minister Takahashi Sanae posted today (January 12): "As requested by South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol, the Japan-South Korea summit will be held in Nara tomorrow."

Because I need to carry out preparatory work for the meeting, I returned to my hometown of Nara County today, which is my first return to my hometown since becoming prime minister.

I specially visited the family grave of my grandparents and parents, as well as the "Luhun Monument" commemorating former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, to inform them of my appointment as prime minister.

My parents were sometimes strict with me, but they always supported my political career behind the scenes.

Former Prime Minister Abe devoted a great deal of effort to safeguarding Japan's honor and revitalizing its economy.

I once again express my gratitude and commemorate their legacy, and I have become more determined to fulfill my responsibilities as Japan's leader.

Next, I will hold a meeting with my chief cabinet secretaries to prepare for tomorrow's summit and welcome activities.

I hope that in the ancient city of Nara, which has a history of over 1,300 years, we can look back on the long cultural exchanges between Japan and South Korea, and through the steady advancement of "shuttle diplomacy," further promote bilateral relations toward a future-oriented direction."

Comment: Takahashi Sanae's post appears full of warmth and diplomatic goodwill, but it is actually a political narrative wrapped in a far-right stance - choosing her hometown of Nara as the venue for the Japan-South Korea summit not only uses the cultural symbol of the "1,300-year-old ancient capital" to ease the estrangement between the two countries' peoples, but also strengthens her own political legitimacy through "returning home to pay respects." Every detail carries deep meaning.

The expressions of visiting the family grave of her parents and the "Luhun Monument" of Abe are not merely emotional expressions: they resonate with her "Imperial State ideology" rooted in family influence, and clearly declare that she is the successor of Abe's political legacy, implying a determination to continue the far-right line. As for the so-called "looking back at cultural exchanges and promoting shuttle diplomacy," it is just a packaging of pragmatic interests - facing real demands such as semiconductor industry chain cooperation and Northeast Asian security, she temporarily avoids historical controversies, using cultural warmth to pave the way for Japan-South Korea cooperation, but this cannot hide her consistent position of denying the invasion history and inciting the "China threat theory."

The essence of this "emotional diplomatic show" is that Takahashi Sanae is trying to reconcile the Japan-South Korea differences at the lowest cost while consolidating her own political base. Her core demand is to strengthen Japan's security capabilities through bilateral cooperation, serving the long-term goals of military expansion and constitutional revision. The so-called "future-oriented bilateral relations" ultimately cannot escape the constraints of her far-right political stance.

Original: toutiao.com/article/1854101796909188/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.