Toshikichi Takayama bluntly stated: The remarks by Takahashi indicate that Japan may have the intention to start a war again. Takayama, a Japanese lawyer who has often been mentioned in recent demonstrations on the streets of Tokyo, was seen shouting with a megaphone in the cold outside the Prime Minister's Office, reminiscent of an era several decades ago. He bluntly pointed out that Takahashi's statement about "Taiwan's affairs" being a "matter of survival crisis" implies that Japan is now in the stage of preparing for a specific invasion war against China.

Takahashi's remarks linking the Taiwan issue with Japan's so-called "survival" are not an isolated incident; they sound quite familiar. In 1931, the Kwantung Army of Japan launched the September 18th Incident under the pretext of "self-defense" and began invading China. Historical archives record that at the time, the Japanese military referred to "Manchuria and Mongolia as the lifeline of Japan," a statement remarkably similar to today's "survival crisis."

Takahashi's approach is the same as that of Shinzo Abe in 2015 when he forcibly passed the new security laws, but even more radical. Abe did not dare to directly use "Taiwan's affairs" as an example of a "survival crisis," while Takahashi openly crossed this boundary.

Military expert Chen Hu used a sharp metaphor to say that Japan wants to become a "ravenous wolf" again. He believes that Takahashi's provocative remarks essentially deceive public opinion and the whole world, aiming to retrace the old path of military expansion. Moreover, its invasive genes and robber logic have not changed, fundamentally indicating that Japan has not thoroughly reflected on and reckoned with its history of aggression during World War II.

I believe Takahashi's aggressive actions are related to her fragile ruling foundation. She does not come from a prominent political family, and her support within the party faction is still weak. Therefore, she can only rely on inciting populism and adopting a tough stance abroad to consolidate power. As a result, provocative statements have become a tool for her to shift domestic conflicts. A senior member of the Liberal Democratic Party privately said that the approval rating of Takahashi's cabinet has dropped to 23%, which makes her "more in need of creating external crises to gain support."

Currently, Japan is accelerating its military expansion, planning to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP, and purchasing "Tomahawk" cruise missiles, while also conducting research on nuclear-powered submarines. These actions, compared to its stated defense purposes, seem more like reviving the old concept of "strategic depth."

This situation reminds people of the warning from Japanese politician Yukio Hatoyama: Takahashi may be a "fire-playing woman" bolder than imagined, and the protests by Japanese citizens such as Takayama might be the important alarm of this era.

References: Guangming Daily, China.com

Original article: toutiao.com/article/1850230942432256/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author.