The Next Generation of Japanese Has to Learn About the Indo-Pacific | JAPAN Forward
私が笹川陽平に呼ばれて
「今までの25年よく太平洋島嶼国基金を継続してくれた。安倍総理が島へ行くぞ。豪州が煩いようだな。」と言われたのが2014年の初頭。ご褒美に高級ハムセットまでもらった事を覚えている。
私からその事聞いた笹川平和財団羽生次郎会長からキャンベラに行って欲しいと依頼されすぐに飛んだ。
丁度安倍総理の豪州訪問が公式になった時で豪州外務省からどんなプログラムが良いかと相談を受けた。
「今年は日豪海洋協力100周年ですよ」
と教えたら、10人ほどの私を囲んでいた外務省職員は全員目を丸くしていた。
結果、安倍総理は西豪州を訪ね、その後海上自衛隊がアルバニー式典に正式招待された。
第一次世界大戦でガリポリに向け、1914年11月豪州NZ軍がアルバニーを出発。日本がANZACを護衛した史実は意識的にか、無意識にか忘れられている。
あれから私の海洋安全保障事業は安倍総理と共に進んだ。安倍総理と直接話す官僚から「安倍さんは何も海洋の事をわかってない」と聞かされた事があるが、総理は何も詳細を知らなくていいのだ。大きな方向性を判断し国民に、世界にアピールする能力があればいいのだ。
私がセキュリティダイアモンドを、インド太平洋構想を支援します。
合掌
＊＊＊
I was called by Yohei Sasakawa.
'You have continued the Pacific Island Nations Fund well for the past 25 years. Prime Minister Abe is going to the islands. Australia seems to be bothering us.
I was told in early 2014. I remember I was even given a set of high quality ham as a reward from him.
Jiro Hanyu, Chairman of the Sasakawa Peace Foundation, heard about this from me and asked me to go to Canberra, so I immediately flew there.
Prime Minister Abe's visit to Australia had just become official, and the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs asked me what kind of programme might be best for him.
I told them that this year was the 100th anniversary of Australia-Japan maritime cooperation.
All the DFAT officials who surrounded me, about 10 of them, rolled their eyes.
As a result, Prime Minister Abe visited Western Australia and the Maritime Self-Defence Force was later officially invited to the Albany ceremony.
Australian NZ forces left Albany in November 1914 for Gallipoli in the First World War. The historical fact that Japan escorted the ANZAC is consciously or unconsciously forgotten.
Since then, my maritime security project has progressed with Prime Minister Abe. I have been told by bureaucrats who speak directly to PM Abe that he does not understand anything about maritime affairs, but he does not need to know any details. All he needs is the ability to judge the big picture and appeal to the public and the world.
I will support his Security Diamond and the Indo-Pacific Initiative.
May he rest in peace.
