2012年と2022年の外交演説比較分析

The content of foreign ministers’ foreign policy speeches in 2012 and 2022 will be compared and examined using a good ten-year approach. Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba in 2012 and Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi in 2022 gave speeches in the Diet. The former considered to be a “pinch as a chance” speech and the latter as a “appearance of APEC in a long time” speech. In these and other Japanese diplomatic speeches, the word “leadership” is often used. However, the nation of Japan has shown its strength when it has a model – one it tries to catch up with and overtake. The author proposes that the underlying cause of Japan’s recent decline is its lack of willingness to learn from others. And even though it is still the third largest economy in the world, an economic situation that is said to have been “lost” is now seen as normal, meaning that the use of the phrase “leadership” is merely proof that one cannot see oneself objectively. Cool Japan, which appeared in the 2012 speech, has already finished its role. It also presented a revival of ODA, but this also appeared in the 2022 stage. In other words, even after 10 years, no progress has been made. There was a reference to APEC in 2022. Amid a shift to the Indo-Pacific, it was unusual to take up APEC, which includes both China and Russia as member countries. Although advancing digital society continues to be a challenge, there was no presentation of a model for it, nor any reason to be expected great progress. Although Russia’s invasion o f Ukraine is likely to constitute a breakthrough in Japanese diplomacy, the content of the speech in January 2022 reveals a perspective that sees international issues through mere force of habit.