Takaichi's dangerous course: A challenge to history and peace

Editor's note: Cao Cong, a special commentator for CGTN, is a doctoral candidate at the School of International Politics and Economics, University of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences.

Since taking office, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi has adopted a series of hardline positions on historical, security, and diplomatic issues, prompting heightened vigilance among regional countries. Her possible visit to the war-linked Yasukuni Shrine on December 26 has also draw lots of debate in Japan and abroad.

Whether in her regressive stance on historical issues of war or her radical actions regarding security policy and the Taiwan question, her political course is increasingly deviating from the path of peace and restraint established by postwar Japan. The risks inherent in this course extend beyond China-Japan relations and pose tangible threats to world peace and stability.

For many years, Takaichi has taken an openly radical position on historical issues and is widely regarded as a representative figure of historical revisionism within Japanese politics. She is a member of the ultranationalist organization Nippon Kaigi, which has long attempted to reframe Japan's war of aggression through rhetoric such as "self-defense" or "liberation of Asia." Takaichi herself has publicly advocated downplaying Japan's responsibility for aggression in textbooks, opposing the use of the internationally recognized historical term "aggression."

In essence, Takaichi's actions seek to reshape Japan's collective historical consciousness through institutional means, undermining the moral foundations of postwar reflection and providing ideological justification for Japan's political shift to the right and the loosening of security constraints.

On the issue of war responsibility, Takaichi has consistently avoided sincere reflection on countries victimized during World War II, instead persistently downplaying the nature and consequences of Japan's aggression. In her public statements, she emphasizes the so-called "sacrifice for the nation" while deliberately sidestepping crucial questions such as who initiated the war and what devastation it brought. By obscuring clear responsibility with vague nationalist rhetoric, she effectively works to de-responsibilize war crimes and preserve political and moral space for Japan's militarist legacy.

Before becoming prime minister, Takaichi had visited the Yasukuni Shrine on multiple occasions and even stated during last year's Liberal Democratic Party leadership race that she would continue to do so after taking office. Such a stance has deeply hurt the historical feelings of countries victimized by Japan's aggression, while also sending a dangerous signal within Japan itself: There is no need to reflect on aggression, and war can be glorified. Once this perception becomes mainstream, it will fundamentally erode the social foundation of Japan's postwar pacifism.

In the realm of security policy, Takaichi has long advocated breaking through the Exclusively Defense-Oriented Policy, supporting constitutional revision, military expansion, and the enhanced role of the Self-Defense Forces. She has also pushed for Japan to assume a more assertive and offensive role in regional security affairs. Particularly alarming are her statements on the Taiwan question, which clearly exceed the prudence Japan should exercise.

Takaichi is a staunch supporter of Abe's policy line, which forcibly linked the Taiwan question to Japan's "security" and "survival" in 2021. During a Diet meeting on November 7 this year, Takaichi claimed that the Chinese mainland's "use of force on Taiwan" could constitute a "survival-threatening situation" for Japan, which has triggered intense criticism both domestically and internationally. Faced with China's demand that she retract her remarks, she adopted an ambiguous response. Such remarks essentially instrumentalize and securitize the Taiwan question, attempting to leverage regional tensions to legitimize Japan's military expansion and strategic loosening.

It must be emphasized that the Taiwan question lies at the heart of China's core interests and is fundamentally an internal affair of China. Takaichi's reckless remarks not only constitute serious interference in China's internal affairs but also place Japan itself in a highly precarious strategic position. Any miscalculation or crossing of red lines would inevitably turn Japan into a frontline state in regional confrontation and a direct bearer of spillover risks.

From a political and tactical perspective, Takaichi's hardline course is also driven by clear domestic considerations. Confronted with sluggish economic growth, rising social pressures, and deepening public divisions, mobilizing nationalist sentiment and politicizing security and historical issues have become a familiar means of diverting attention and consolidating support among right-wing constituencies.

By provoking external friction, she seeks to redirect domestic discontent outward and portray herself as a symbol of "strong leadership" defending Japan's national dignity. Such a strategy, however, is profoundly dangerous. Not only will it further tear apart Japanese society, but it will also intensify distrust and confrontation among neighboring countries, gradually isolating Japan in regional affairs.

History has repeatedly shown that denying aggression, whitewashing war, and manipulating security issues cannot bring genuine security or dignity to any nation. For Japan, the path truly aligned with its long-term national interests lies not in historical regression or strategic adventurism, but in confronting history honestly and honoring commitments.

If Takaichi continues to pursue a confrontational posture on historical issues and the Taiwan question, or visits to the Yasukuni Shrine, the political costs, diplomatic consequences and strategic risks will ultimately be borne by Japan itself. History cannot be rewritten, and peace must not be challenged. Any attempt to whitewash aggression or evoke the specters of war will ultimately be nailed to the pillar of shame.

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