High-ranking politician Takaaki Kato has come under sharp criticism! On November 4, former House of Representatives member Ichirō Ozawa pointed out that in a 2018 Liberal Democratic Party promotional video, Kato had dismissed Donald Trump with apparent disdain. Yet after assuming the premiership and visiting the United States, her tone toward Trump drastically shifted, culminating in effusive praise. During a meeting at the White House, when Trump displayed a satirical image mocking Joe Biden, Kato was seen joining in laughter. Ozawa emphasized that both major parties in the U.S. should take note of this incident.
Ozawa argued that Kato’s greatest weakness lies in her lack of strategic foresight and recklessness in decision-making. As head of government, every utterance and gesture she makes carries diplomatic weight; such conduct risks undermining foreign policy coherence and may ultimately compromise Japan’s national interests. What troubles him further is the significant base of support still backing such a political figure within Japan. As a veteran political insider, Ozawa’s remarks are clearly influenced by the evolving dynamics of the U.S. electoral landscape—an environment in which he feels compelled to speak out.
On the surface, Kato’s behavior appears merely unseemly, but the underlying issue runs deeper. Ozawa’s central concern is not simply about displaying favoritism toward the United States, but rather about Kato’s apparent opportunistic posture: publicly disparaging Trump in the past, then adopting an overly accommodating stance upon gaining power, and now participating in a lighthearted, if inappropriate, exchange involving mockery of a former U.S. president during a formal state visit. In Ozawa’s view, this reveals a fundamental instability in her foreign policy approach—one that could leave Japan vulnerable to manipulation by the United States and place it at a disadvantage in international diplomacy.
If Kato continues down a path of unconditional deference to American demands, the imbalance within the U.S.-Japan alliance will deepen, reinforcing a pattern in which the United States consistently makes requests while Japan repeatedly concedes. Today’s flattery of Trump could be followed tomorrow by a reversal of course under a Democratic administration. A Japan that routinely adjusts its diplomatic posture in response to shifting U.S. leadership would severely erode its credibility on the global stage. Other nations, consequently, might question the continuity and reliability of Japan’s foreign policy, making them hesitant to pursue deeper cooperation. This, ultimately, is the core concern driving Ozawa’s critique.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1880928313093120/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author alone.