朝河貫一記念シンポジウムスピーチ（和文訳）

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　２００７年３月９日

　ご紹介いただきました玄葉光一郎です。民主党の衆議院議員をしております。朝河博士を記念してのシンポジウムにお招きいただきましたことに感謝申し上げます。

　朝河博士は安積（あさか）高校の先輩にあたります。博士の出身大学は早稲田ですから同窓生は数多くいらっしゃるはずですが、高校の同窓は珍しいと思います。ただ本日に限っては珍しくないのかもしれません。ご出席の矢吹晋（すすむ）教授も安積高校の出身でいらっしゃいます。

　高校時代の博士のあだ名は「辞書食い」だったそうです。彼は英語の辞書を暗記し、覚えるたびにそのページを食べてしまったようです。恐るべき胃腸の持ち主です。しかしさすがの彼も表紙までは食べなかった。そこで最後に残った表紙を校庭の桜の根本に埋めました。いまではそれが大木となって毎年見事な桜を咲かせています。朝河ざくらと呼ばれています。

　本日ご出席の皆様はご存知のように、彼は古代・中世を扱う比較制度史家でありました。と同時に『日露の衝突（The Russo‐Japanese Conflict）』や『日本の禍機（かき）』といった著作や書簡において言論活動も行い、彼自身が生きた時代を鋭くかつ情熱的に論じました。

　彼の研究や言論はまさに「歴史の評価に耐え得るもの」であり、特に言論活動においてみられるその予見は確かなものでありました。彼は日露戦争時には日本の正義の立場を米国民に説いてまわりました。しかし日露戦争後の日本のアジア外交を「私曲」（よこしまで不正な態度）と断じます。そしてそれは「世界史の根底に流れる道義心に反する行為」であり、このままでは日本は国際的に孤立し破局を迎えてしまう。いまこそ「反省力のある愛国心」で日本外交の方向性を変えるべきであるなどと祖国に警告を発し続けました。

　１９１５年の対華２１か条の要求の時には、大隈重信首相に書簡を送り、日本のアジア外交は、中国民族の自由と独立を尊重する覇権なき正義の外交でなければならないことを主張しています。

　第二次世界大戦が勃発するとナチスドイツを激しく非難し、ヒトラーはいずれ自殺へ追い込まれるであろうことを予言し、日本はドイツとともに進むべきではないと忠告し、さらに日米開戦だけは回避しようと懸命に奔走します。

　私は再びイェールの関係者に感謝申し上げなければなりません。なぜなら日米が開戦した後も、このイェール大学の当時の関係者のご努力で朝河博士は研究と行動の自由が保障されていたからであります。

　彼は日米のはざまで、祖国日本へ厳しい警告と進言を続けました。同時に彼の視線はもう一つの彼の祖国米国にも向けられます。第二次世界大戦中、米国に対してこう言い遺しています。「米国よ、国際連合が発足した時、覇権を行使してはならない。戦後、米国は謙虚さという学科を学ぶことによって、世界に現存する矛盾と不平等に思いをいたし、そこから真の正義を考えなければならない。力を振りかざす正義感に立った政治伝道者的態度は反省しなければならない。」

　米国は現在唯一の超大国であります。日本はその米国と同盟関係にあり、日米同盟はアジア太平洋地域の平和と繁栄のための公共財の役割を果たしています。日本は自己完結型の防衛力を向上させつつ、日米同盟を対等な同盟関係へ深化させていかねばなりません。そして戦略対話をより活発化させ、時に米国に対しても抑制を効かせるような成熟した同盟関係を築かねばならないと考えています。

　中国は日本の隣国です。日中は歴史上初めていわば対等な国家として向き合っています。日本は領土や海洋権益問題などでは毅然とした対応を取りつつ、日中両国はアジアの共同議長であるという立場でアジアや世界における責任を果たしていく必要があります。

　日米中三カ国による包括対話の実現も模索すべきでしょう。インドも加わると良いかもしれません。

　さらに付け加えれば日本は地球環境問題での貢献をもっともっと真剣に考え、日本でしか成し得ない外交も展開すべきであると考えます。

　朝河博士が当時日本を取り巻く情勢を冷徹に分析し、歯に衣着せず批評したように、この会議では正しい情勢認識の下、参加者が互いに厳しいことも本音で言い合えるような有意義な議論が展開されることを心から期待しています。

　朝河貫一記念シンポジウムの開催にあたりご尽力された全ての皆様に改めて感謝申し上げ私のスピーチとさせて頂きます。ありがとうございました。

Speech at the Japan-US Kanichi Asakawa Memorial Symposium

March 9, 2007

Yale University

I am Koichiro Gemba, a member of the House of Representatives from the Democratic Party of Japan. I very much appreciate being invited to this symposium in honour of Dr. Kanichi Asakawa.

Dr. Asakawa was from Nihonmatsu City in Fukushima Prefecture. As far as I am concerned, he is both one of the great luminaries to be produced by my hometown and Fukushima Prefecture and also a fellow graduate of my alma mater, Asaka High School. Dr. Asakawa graduated from Waseda University, so there must be many alumni who share the same college, but I think that alumni who share the same high school as him must be very rare. However, just for today, perhaps that is not the case, since Professor Susumu Ibuki, who is also a participant in this meeting, is a fellow graduate of Asaka High School.

Dr. Asakawa’s nickname during his high school days was “the dictionary eater”. Apparently, he memorized his English dictionary, eating each page after he had memorized it. He must have had an iron stomach. However, even he was not able to eat the outer cover of the dictionary. Instead, he buried it at the foot of a cherry tree in the school yard. Now, that tree is fully mature and every year produces the most beautiful blossoms. It is known as the “Asakawa Zakura” or Asakawa Cherry.

As all of you here today are well aware, Dr. Asakawa was a comparative historian focusing on the ancient and medieval periods. At the same time, he also engaged in the contemporary debate through his letters and publications such as The Russo-Japanese Conflict and Nihon no Kaki, or “Japan’s Moment of Truth” in English, making penetrating and passionate observations about the era in which he himself lived.

Dr. Asakawa’s research and his discursive writings are works that can “stand the test of history” and in particular the prescience visible in his writings is remarkable. He explained the justifications for Japan’s position during the Russo-Japanese war to the American people. However, he judged Japan’s Asian diplomacy following that war to be “self-serving”.  He called her behaviour “actions that offend the moral sensibility that runs through the core of world history” and cautioned that if Japan continued in this manner she would be isolated internationally and face ruin. He continued to warn his homeland that now was the time to change the direction of Japan’s diplomacy through “a patriotism that has the power of remorse”.

In 1915, when Japan made the Twenty-One Demands to China, Dr. Asakawa sent a letter to Prime Minister Shigenobu Okuma, in which he stressed that Japan’s Asian diplomacy must be a just diplomacy without hegemony that respects the freedom and independence of the Chinese people.

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Asakawa strongly criticised Nazi Germany, predicting that Hitler would finally be forced to commit suicide, and warning that Japan should not continue as Germany’s fellow traveller. Furthermore, he made every effort to prevent the opening of hostilities between Japan and the United States.

Here, I must express my gratitude to Yale once again. This is because, even after the outbreak of war between Japan and the US, the research and freedom of movement of Dr. Asakawa was ensured thanks to the efforts of his contemporaries at Yale. I would like to pay my sincere respects to the university for its liberty and enviable academic tradition.

Dr. Asakawa stood between Japan and the US, continuing his severe warnings and advice to his home country. At the same time, however, his eyes were also focused on his second home, the United States. During the Second World War, Asakawa addressed the American nation, saying, “America, when the United Nations has been launched, you must not engage in hegemony. After the war, the United States, by taking lessons in humility, must consider the contradictions and inequalities currently existing in the world and then determine what true justice is. She must show remorse for political evangelism with its righteous brandishing of power.” I came across these words, which could be described as Asakawa’s last will and testament, in a commemorative exhibition held two years ago at our alma mater Asaka High School.

The United States is currently the world’s sole superpower and a world order without her is unthinkable. Japan has an alliance with the United States, and that alliance fulfils the role of a public good for peace and prosperity of the Asian-Pacific region. While developing a self-contained defense capability, including intelligence-gathering capabilities, Japan must undertake the necessary revisions of the Constitution and deepen the Japan-US alliance into an equal partnership. I believe that we must invigorate strategic dialogue and construct a mature alliance, which may at times place restrictions on the United States as well.

China is one of Japan’s neighbours. For the first time in our history, the two nations are facing each other as equals. While Japan should respond firmly to China regarding territorial and marine rights issues and deter China by means of the Japan-US alliance, I believe that she, together with the United States, should play a role in encouraging China to engage actively with the international community. I understand that the United States feels some concern regarding the formation of an East Asian Community, but I believe that we should engage in drafting a design for an East Asian community that includes the United States. Japan should be an active bridge in this process.

We should also seek to realise a comprehensive dialogue between Japan, the United States and China. Perhaps India should also be included.

If I were to make an additional point, I believe that we should take Japan’s contribution to global environmental issues much more seriously, and should develop a unique diplomacy that can only be carried out by Japan.

It is my sincere hope that the participants in this conference will develop a meaningful dialogue based on an accurate perception of current conditions, and engage in a frank exchange that may include critical comments, in the same way that Dr. Asakawa coolly analysed the situation facing contemporary Japan and commented on it frankly,

I would like to end my speech by expressing my appreciation for the efforts of everyone who has been involved in the organisation of this Asakawa memorial symposium. Thank you very much for your attention.