politics

Abe says Japan is 'best partner' for Asia

33 Comments

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33 Comments
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Let me rephrase that for you: "“We do not impose our culture on others, and if you disagree we'll retract your funding and complain ceaselessely ... we think together and move together with the local people, but not with outsiders.”

Abe is desperate now, and the world knows 'Abenomics' is nothing but a word to criticize the failures of his administration for. How many new 'arrows' has he fired from his overloaded (with words) quiver? How many times will he say, "It's coming soon... just wait for it!".

Sorry, but as long as Abe wants a return to past glory, be it business method that worked in the past (before failing), or other elements of history, he's only leading people to failure. Best others don't hop on the sinking ship for his hope they'll help prop it up.

6 ( +14 / -8 )

JAPAN is the best the partner not only for Asia but also for the world.

-5 ( +8 / -13 )

Then why have all the international banks left and gone to HK or Singapore then? High taxes, ridiculous employment rules. Citi, HSBC etc., all gone. Traders have a whacking great big book of new rules to remember and have to pass a strict test to get a license to work in finance. NOBODY sends their bright young stars to Japan anymore.

Look around the floors of Maranouchi .... I do not see much chicken broth for ramen there!

5 ( +11 / -6 )

So Japan is no longer part of Asia? Japan is outside of Asia?

1 ( +6 / -5 )

Japan is of course part of Asia and it knows it. Is is still investing tons of money in Asia like it did in the past years.

-3 ( +6 / -9 )

I suppose he imagines that he has a sophisticated rationalization for his assertion that Japan does not impose its culture on other Asian countries - that Malaysian ramen has chicken broth. But it is somehow emblematic of the totally banal rhetoric that issues from those representing Japan to the outside. And possibly betrays how little they really understand or respect their audience.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

A nationalistic American puppet? How about China? Surely they are the best partner???

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

He added: “We do not impose our culture on others ... we think together and move together with the local people.”

For example, he said the recipe for Japanese ramen noodle has been modified in Malaysia by using chicken broth and meat, instead of pork, which is prohibited in Islam.

I've heard worse first attempts at improv comedy. Maybe once.

6 ( +7 / -1 )

"don't go with china, pleaaaase..."

10 ( +11 / -1 )

Oh, dear! It seems Mr. Abe has completely lost the plot now.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

When he says "Japan"he is saying "the US''. The US are using Japan to challange China. It's easier to let your puppet speaking for you.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Saturday said Japan is the “best partner” for Asia

I wonder if Abe knows which continent Japan is on.

It doesn't seem like it.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

Bertie...politically...Japan is with the US, not with China.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

Japan's "assistance" is obligatory anyway, expected from the world's 3 biggest economy.

Savvy Asians know Japan more than anyone else uses this money strategically for its own purposes: as a way of providing its own corporates with profitable work. Japan's wonderful charitable infrastructure projects are invariably done nearly exclusively with Japanese contractors, suppliers and consultants.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

Lucky Japan is already in Asia then? Don't get it

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Abe's pitching Japan as the ideal business partner for nearly 3/4 of mankind, and the example (and might I add, the only example) he chose to illustrate Japan's unparalleled feats in supporting the Asian economy is the flavor of ramen noodles other than pork. May the world adore Japan for such piety and benevolence :P

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Alex80,

Bertie...politically...Japan is with the US, not with China.

Geographically Japan is part of Asia:

Japan 日本 Nippon [nip̚põ̞ɴ] or Nihon [nihõ̞ɴ]; formally 日本国 About this sound Nippon-koku or Nihon-koku, "State of Japan") is an island country in East Asia.

(Wikipedia)

China is also part of Asia.

The U.S. is part of ANOTHER continent.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

"For example, he said the recipe for Japanese ramen noodle has been modified in Malaysia by using chicken broth and meat, instead of pork, which is prohibited in Islam."

No, he doesn't impose anything on others at all... nope. I think it's cute he think ramen is from Japan, as though it did not originate elsewhere and Japan put its own spin on it. And... nah... Malaysia couldn't possibly be drawing from the original, given it's HUGE Chinese population or anything; they're just using 'Japanese ramen noodles', which he benevolently allows them to do, of course, and flavouring it differently, and he's not even sending the Japanese food police after him to give them a rating or anything and showing it's "not REAL Japanese"!

What a tool.

1 ( +6 / -5 )

"Then why have all the international banks left and gone to HK or Singapore then? High taxes, ridiculous employment rules. Citi, HSBC etc., all gone. Traders have a whacking great big book of new rules to remember and have to pass a strict test to get a license to work in finance. NOBODY sends their bright young stars to Japan anymore."

Yeah Tokyo really needs the BS finance activities à la London or NY. More derivatives please too…

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

"We do not impose our culture on others.." - clearly A-bee has been reading from one of those right wing textbooks. It should also be interpreted as "we do not impose our culture but we will impose our will eh the UN?"...this guy is a real embarrassment to Japan.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Bertie. I know where Japan is. But politically it is with the US. So, try by yourself to understand the implications.

-7 ( +0 / -7 )

He says: “Be assured that we stand with you against this new evil that blasphemes against the name of Islam.”

All talk. Yeah, big chunk of Indonesia's population are islamic. How many refugees will "they" be allowing in?

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

All talk. Yeah, big chunk of Indonesia's population are islamic. How many refugees will "they" be allowing in?

The question is, how many would choose to remain after looking at the list of joyo kanji?

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Citi, HSBC etc., all gone. Traders have a whacking great big book of new rules to remember and have to pass a strict test to get a license to work in finance Who cares? Any one who chooses to work in the finance industry deserves their cake. The banking sector here is a closed shop. Has always and will always be so.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

For example, he said the recipe for Japanese ramen noodle has been modified in Malaysia by using chicken broth and meat, instead of pork, which is prohibited in Islam.

You're kidding, right? That is the best example he could come up with? No wonder Japan is dropping like a rock in terms of global competitiveness. Truly inspirational thinking on display.

2 ( +7 / -5 )

For example, he said the recipe for Japanese ramen noodle has been modified in Malaysia by using chicken broth and meat, instead of pork, which is prohibited in Islam.

Using meat instead of pork? wow, just wow

1 ( +4 / -3 )

According to Abe statement he is politicking for Japan to become a part of Asia. I guess in his mind Japan was in a world of its own.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

misunderstood: "I guess in his mind Japan was in a world of its own."

Nah, he's one of those people that looks up to and secretly wishes it were part of the US -- or a Western country like it, until it comes to human rights, anyway (even with said rights being questionable themselves at times in said nations).

In any case, Abe is just pushing this crap because China is set to start making loans and he's pitching Japan, desperately, as the alternative. The best is that he has the gall to tell the world that he guarantees the "Made in Japan" label, when that label fell off because it was cheaply mislabeled on an inferior product by a Japanese company, and with Olympus, Takada, Asahi Kaisei, Toshiba, and heaps of other companies caught in barefaced lies lately and fobbing off poor products.

1 ( +5 / -4 )

Also American, German, Korean, etc companies are object of scandals. Japan bashing is a trend in this site rather hilarious.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

That chicken ramen example he made to try to pander to the local Muslims Malays (Malaysia also has a big non-Muslim population) was freaking hilarious. Also, "Yeah, we won't impose our culture on you but other than that, everything else has to be from Japanese companies".

5 ( +5 / -0 )

Again with the noodles Abe!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Botchan:

We do not impose our culture on others

Of course. You don't burst into American publishers' offices and tell them what they should or shouldn't publish in American books. You don't tell what Koreans can or cannot put up in their own streets. You don't tell what UNESCO and the UN should or shouldn't do.

I'm sure all those workers who come to work on the farms and in the factories are treated like human beings.

Best partner for Asia? Like sabotaging Thai rice, belittling other countries' products and not letting other countries do business comfortably in Japan.

Jeez, this guy's a comedian.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

You don't burst into American publishers' offices and tell them what they should or shouldn't publish in American books.

Because it was about Japan and it was fabricated stories.

You don't tell what Koreans can or cannot put up in their own streets.

Because it is right in front of Japanese Embassy, which is against international law. You are supposed to protect foreign embassy's dignity.

I'm sure all those workers who come to work on the farms and in the factories are treated like human beings.

They are treated in the same way as the Japanese.

not letting other countries do business comfortably in Japan.

You seem to be working comfortably in Japan in fact more comfortable than the majority Japanese. Many Japanese are paid much less than the foreigners in Japan.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

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