Photo/Illutration Emperor Naruhito and Empress Masako arrive in Indonesia on June 17. (Pool)

Emperor Naruhito has returned home after an official visit to Indonesia. It was Naruhito’s first goodwill visit overseas since he ascended the throne in 2019. He was accompanied by Empress Masako, who is recovering from what is referred to as an adjustment disorder following her entry into imperial life. The imperial couple’s trip clearly helped deepen existing friendly ties between the two countries as they met and communicated with many Indonesian people.

Japan occupied Indonesia for more than three years until its defeat in World War II in August 1945. Untold numbers of Indonesians were mobilized as laborers during this period of struggle and hardship.

In a news conference prior to the trip, the emperor said, “It is important to remember those who died, to deepen our understanding of the past and to foster a love for peace among people.”

He offered flowers at the Kalibata Heroes Cemetery in Jakarta, which also contains the remains of Imperial Japanese Army soldiers who stayed on in Indonesia after the war and fought for the nation’s independence from the Netherlands. Naruhito met with descendants of these Japanese soldiers.

The imperial couple’s journey to Indonesia underscored the fact that there are numerous people, of different generations and nationalities, whose fates were changed by the reckless war. It drove home the importance of peace.

True friendship can only be built on a serious reflection of the past. The visit also raised afresh the question of whether Japan has been making steady, constant soul-searching on its wartime past.

There are lingering concerns in Asia about the course Japan is taking due to memories of the nation’s wartime behavior.

During the Shangri-La Dialogue defense summit held in Singapore in early June, Singapore’s defense minister, Ng Eng Hen, referring to Japan’s plans to bolster its defense spending, called on Tokyo to continue making efforts to “reassure its neighbors.” The Japanese government should do more to prevent tensions in the region from rising further.

The imperial couple’s visit to Indonesia came on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the establishment of Japan’s formal diplomatic relationship with Indonesia and the 50th anniversary of friendship and cooperation between Japan and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The festive mood, however, did not obscure differences in stance between Western industrial democracies, including Japan and emerging and developing nations, with regard to various security issues, including the situation in Ukraine. Also casting a shadow over the celebration of friendship and cooperation is the sticky challenge of how each country in the region should deal with China, which has been expanding its influence and using it for its own strategic gains.

The Japanese government apparently sought to enhance Japan’s ties with Indonesia, one of the major Global South nations that holds the ASEAN chairmanship this year, by responding to President Joko Widodo’s invitation for the imperial couple to visit.

The emperor has no political powers, but the government’s decisions concerning his diplomatic activities--when he makes an overseas visit--often have significant political implications. This also applies to his meetings with foreign leaders and other dignitaries at home.

The government risks countering the spirit of the Constitution and jeopardizing public trust in and support for the imperial family that have been gained through many decades of efforts if it tries to use the emperor or other members of the imperial family for any diplomatic initiative to promote national interests.

The government needs to act with the clear recognition that it is required to be even more cautious than ever before in making decisions concerning imperial activities amid the growing complexity and diversity of the global landscape.

--The Asahi Shimbun, June 24

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