Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump attend a news conference on Feb. 7 at the White House in Washington. (The Asahi Shimbun)

The principle of the rule of law has been on my mind since I realized the absence of this phrase from the latest Japan-U.S. joint declaration by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and U.S. President Donald Trump.

Back in 2017, Shinzo Abe and Trump stressed the importance of the rule of law in their joint statement during their summit, as did Fumio Kishida and Joe Biden in theirs last year.

Just when I was wondering why this vital principle of governance was not even mentioned once in the Ishiba-Trump declaration, it was none other than the prime minister himself who explained why, on Japanese television, right after his return from the summit.

Ishiba said to the effect, “Should I say ‘the rule of law’ abruptly, (Trump) would feel being lectured to. But if were to say, ‘It’s not good to change the status quo by force, is it?’ he would agree. In other words, the outcome of a discussion depends greatly on how you say things.”

That’s why Ishiba took the latter approach, I suppose he was trying to say.

I can appreciate the trickiness of dealing, for the first time, with someone who is known to be “difficult.”

But then, there is the saying, “Honest advice can be unpleasant to the ear.” Any suggestion that has been overly softened not to upset the other party is not advice as such. It is just an utterance that gives its maker the self-satisfaction of having said something.

Prior to the summit, Trump signed an executive order sanctioning International Criminal Court (ICC) officials because of his opposition to the court’s issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others.

In response, 79 nations and regions, including Britain, Germany and France, issued a statement to the effect that Trump’s action would erode the rule of law.

Japan was not among those 79. But ICC President Judge Tomko Akane is a Japanese citizen.

If the Japanese leader does not say anything during a one-on-one meeting, and also refrains from saying anything in a group, when on earth does he intend to speak up?

In the first place, there is no rule of law if it can exist only with the approval of “superpowers.”

How insane it is to undermine something the nation has worked hard to build.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 11

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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.

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