Reading today's Nikkei, I am convinced that the people in control of NHK's news department are, without a doubt, influenced by China.
From what I know from watching it, it's Okoshi, Arima and others, and their ilks like Takeda and Kamakura.
The first time I saw Prime Minister Abe in real life was when the Liberal Democratic Party was out of office.
The place was Hotel Nikko Osaka in Shinsaibashi.
I went down the escalator from the second floor.
He walked single-mindedly down the corridor to the subway, not turning aside.
It was when I was still a subscriber to the Asahi Shimbun.
There was a real politician there, a humble, serious, and genuine politician, quite different from what the Asahi had written about.
I was shocked.
NHK, which continued to conduct public opinion polls of such a man with "untrustworthy character" as the number one reason for not supporting his administration, is many people with no ability to judge people.
No, it has proven itself to be an organization under the control of forces that wish to deny Abe his authority.
The Asahi Shimbun, China, and South Korea are the brains of the people who control the NHK news department. It is no exaggeration to say that they are a group of traitors.
I am convinced that the best way to judge the authenticity of so-called "cultural people" is to "learn from Germany."
A close friend of mine once lived in the same apartment building as the late Masakazu Yamazaki. I had never had a wrong impression of him until then, but from the moment he said in one of the newspapers that we should learn from Germany, he was nothing but a contempt object.
The same was true of the late Takeshi Umehara. In a large space in the Yomiuri Shimbun, he said, "Learn from Germany.
Of course, neither of these men had the intellect to tell us to learn from Germany's long-term government.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that they are post-war intellectuals, the kind of brains made up of the Asahi Shimbun editorials.
Today's Nikkei article on page 3, "Germany turns its back on China," and the item by former Australian Prime Minister Turnbull on page 9 is the perfect testimony to the validity of my editorial on NHK.
Abe's Resignation: A Void in International Politics
The world and the Asia-Pacific region are reminded of the wise and calming words that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who announced his resignation, has conveyed over international affairs.
He was a good friend of Australia, and we worked together as prime ministers for many years, building a warm friendship based on mutual candor and trust.
In my correspondence with Sinzo, I was struck by his humor, charm, and, above all, his calmness.
I was with him at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Conference in Da Nang, Vietnam, in November 2017.
The leaders were trying to approve the 11-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP11).
When U.S. President Trump signaled his withdrawal from the TPP, nearly everyone, including Sinzo, thought the agreement was dead.
I argued that the remaining 11 countries should proceed without the U.S.
Shinzo was concerned that TPP11 could not only anger President Trump but also that the political situation in Japan would make it very difficult to do so.
It is because the United States has fallen outside the framework of the TPP, which has been marketed for expanding access to the U.S. market.
Nevertheless, by the time we met in Sydney in January 2017, we agreed to stay in the agreement.
Shinzo, too, began working to persuade the TPP nations to join us.
When Canada rejected the broad agreement at the last minute, he was neither angry nor resentful.
He calmly re-evaluated the situation and promised not to give up even if the TPP became ten or nine countries.
He had a clear vision of the framework's economic and strategic benefits and was determined to win both.
Finally, in March 2018, TPP11 was signed into law.
It would not have been possible without Japan's commitment, and it would not have been possible without Shinzo as a leader.
The fact that the agreement was reached despite the rise of protectionism means that, hopefully, over time, other countries, including the United States, will join.
Shinzo's vision for the region was evident.
It is a free and open Indo-Pacific, where small nations could pursue their destiny under the rule of law and not be threatened by the great powers.
We aimed to ensure continued U.S. involvement in the region in the face of China's growing threat.
We have strengthened the partnership between the U.S., Japan, Australia, and India through strategic dialogue.
Trump has begun to question the value of U.S. commitments to regional allies, arguing that Japan is not contributing enough to bear the cost of U.S. bases.
His erratic style of leadership made friends and enemies alike uneasy.
Many of his allies began to question whether the United States could be trusted in the future.
These challenges demanded all of Shinzo's qualities.
We had to develop a very different trust with Trump than any other leader we had ever had.
When the three of us were together, it became clear that Trump was testing Shinzo with his provocations over Japanese history.
Shinzo was level-headed, calm, and friendly, but he always returned to the issues he wanted to pursue.
Shinzo's retirement as prime minister will indeed leave a massive void in the international community where he has long been held in high esteem.
In all his negotiations, he was cordial and sincere.
It is a quality all too rare in political circles.
He will be sorely missed, but his friends around the world thank him for his service and wish him a speedy return to health and a long and happy life with his wife.
*I had intended to follow this contribution with a three-page article, but I will end this chapter with a beautiful statement from former Prime Minister Turnbull. His words deeply moved me.
