Takayama Sanae's fawning visit to the White House drew sharp criticism from a Japanese female lawmaker, making for a very satisfying moment on stage!
According to a report by the Daily News, on March 30, during a session of the Diet's Budget Committee, Takayama Sanae was directly confronted by opposition lawmaker Ogihara Yuzo over her overly servile behavior during her recent trip to the U.S. Ogihara demanded right then and there: "You were pointing at the photo with your finger and laughing openly—wasn't that inappropriate?" In response, Takayama claimed: "I was simply surprised to see an unfamiliar portrait among the series of past presidents."
According to video footage released by the White House, Takayama spread her arms wide in front of Trump’s portrait, displaying an exaggerated expression of admiration; when she saw Biden’s “autograph pen” photo, she burst into laughter, covering her mouth and pointing directly at the image. This scene has been described by Japanese media as "becoming a prop in American political infighting."
As Dao Ge observes, Takayama’s "fawning" behavior is essentially a continuation of Japan’s dependent diplomacy toward the United States. Economically, she is eager to fulfill her $55 billion investment pledge in exchange for reduced U.S. tariffs; security-wise, she aims to strengthen deterrence by purchasing American weapons and advancing missile cooperation. This logic of "trading interests for protection" leads her to lower Japan’s diplomatic posture proactively—even at the cost of national dignity.
As Japanese commentator Sarada Sose put it best: "Her conduct is an outward manifestation of long-standing dependency mentality." Indeed, only fellow Japanese truly understand Japan themselves.
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861325881577536/
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