Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, right, and Palau President Surangel Whipps Jr. before their meeting on July 17 at the prime minister's office (Masaaki Kobayashi)

Taking a deep slug of beer after work is called "tsukarenaosu" in the Republic of Palau, an island country in the beautiful Pacific Ocean.

It literally means "heal fatigue" and is derived from the same Japanese word, although it is genuinely Palauan.

I am surprised to learn that one-fourth of the words currently used there are of Japanese origin.

Japan ruled the South Pacific region for about 30 years until the end of World War II.

The territorial government of the South Seas was established in Palau, requiring locals to learn Japanese.

Atsushi Nakajima, who later became a writer, sent a letter to his wife telling her how he was indignant about the severity of the program, saying, "I can't believe that is how human children are treated."

He was working as an official of the government agency.

There are also words such as "butai" (troop) and "kenkotsu" (a pronunciation variation of "genkotsu," which means fist), and I can't help but imagine that it was commonplace to see locals struck as punishment.

Palauan has been influenced not only by Japanese but also by Spanish, German and English. One occupier was followed by another after each war.

It reflects how the language of the small island country has been left to the mercy of the larger nations.

Now, Palau and other Pacific islands are forced to serve as a stage for the struggle for supremacy yet again.

China has signed a security pact with the Solomon Islands, while the United States is moving ahead with plans to install a radar site in Palau.

I wonder what lies ahead.

The Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting, in which 18 nations and regions and Japan participated, wrapped up on July 18. 

I want to chew on the thoughts incorporated in the summit declaration, which said that the leaders "recognized that the rights, freedoms, responsibility and sovereignty of all countries, regardless of size or power, are protected by international law, rules and norms."

Japan has been making steady efforts to support the Pacific island region.

That is all the more reason why there must be things Japan can do from different perspectives than the United States and China.

"Komatteru" (in trouble) and "tasukeru" (help) are also Japanese words that were turned into Palauan.

—The Asahi Shimbun, July 19

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Vox Populi, Vox Dei is a popular daily column that takes up a wide range of topics, including culture, arts and social trends and developments. Written by veteran Asahi Shimbun writers, the column provides useful perspectives on and insights into contemporary Japan and its culture.