Iran and Japan

In southern area of Iran, a Japanese college student was abducted by a drug-smuggling group. This group, which is never related to Iranian government, has already escaped over the boarder to Pakistan, so it’s almost impossible for Iranian police to involve this case. Now, a lot of armed group make up a complicated mosaic in the continent, so it came to difficult that two governments solve such the problem just by negotiating each other. Japan governments finally declared Iran to be a dangerous country to visit as well as Iraq and Afghanistan.

In 1970, while the relationship between the US and Iran was getting worse, Japan retained to have dealings with Iran. When the US and the EU countries boycott Iranian oil, Japan never stopped sending oil tankers to Iran. Also, Iran had been exposed threaten of Russia for a long time as well as Turkey. Both countries must be surprised when Japan fought against and overcame Russia in 19C. In fact, some large streets both in Teheran and Ankara have been capped names of Japanese generals at that time. Iran is honorable country with respectable culture and tradition as old Persia.

I long for political movements focusing more on Iran or Turkey which even seem not to be concerned immediately with us. Those respectable relationships must give us correct nationalism as confidence. Now, Japan is at the mercy of the economic and military competition between the US and China. In addition, Japan isn’t only exposed by threaten of nuclear weapon North Korea is developing but holds some small frictions with South Korea. However, if I consider about Japan in the long term, neutrality that isn’t easy to recover again is the most important. I believe that Japan is one of some countries which could play the role of mental leader in the future world.