英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Dec. 13, 2009)
Emperor must never appear to be political tool
天皇特例会見　憂慮される安易な「政治利用」（12月13日付・読売社説）

It is quite understandable that Shingo Haketa, grand steward of the Imperial Household Agency, expressed grave concern at a press conference Friday about the decision process that led to an audience with the Emperor being hastily arranged for Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping. Breaking with convention, Haketa said, could lead to political exploitation of the Emperor.
　宮内庁の羽毛田信吾長官が、天皇の政治利用に当たる懸念がある、として深い憂慮の念を示したのも当然である。

Xi is scheduled to visit Japan from Monday and meet the Emperor a day later.
　１４日に来日する中国の習近平国家副主席が天皇陛下と会見することになった。

長官の発言は、この決定過程について記者団に語ったものだ。

According to Haketa, the agency received a request from the Chinese government for a meeting with the Emperor through the Foreign Ministry on Nov. 26, which was less than 20 days before Xi's planned visit.
　羽毛田長官によると、宮内庁が外務省を通じて、中国政府からの会見要請を受け取ったのは、習副主席の来日まで２０日を切った１１月２６日のことだ。

Government regulations state that an application for a meeting with the Emperor by any visiting foreign dignitary must be received at least one month in advance. Therefore, a day after receiving the petition, the agency told Beijing it could not accept the request in accordance with this rule.
　陛下と外国要人の会見は、１か月前までに申請を受け付けるという政府のルールがある。このため宮内庁は「ルールに照らして応じかねる」と回答した。

However, the matter did not end there.
　しかし、事はそれで収まらなかった。

According to Haketa, he was phoned on two occasions by Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirofumi Hirano, who asked that Xi be exempted from the rule.
The top government spokesman pressed Haketa to accept his request, saying on his second call that he was making it "on the instruction of the prime minister."
平野官房長官が、電話で２度にわたり長官に特例扱いを要請し、最後は「総理の指示だ」と強引に説き伏せたという。

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Unwelcome precedent set

Because Xi is widely seen as likely to succeed President Hu Jintao, the Chinese government apparently urged Tokyo to arrange the meeting with the Emperor through personal connections, including Democratic Party of Japan Secretary General Ichiro Ozawa.
　中国側が、胡錦濤国家主席の後継者と目される習副主席の来日にあたり、民主党の小沢幹事長など複数の人脈を使って、日本政府に天皇との会見を強く働きかけたことが背景にあるようだ。

Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama said the government's handling of the matter in no way meant it had used the Emperor for political purposes.
"I was aware of the one-month rule, but I had to consider whether it's right from the viewpoint of international friendship to rigidly stick to it," Hatoyama said.
　鳩山首相は「１か月ルールは知っていたが、杓(しゃく)子(し)定規なことが国際的な親善の意味で正しいことなのか」と述べて、政治利用に当たらないとの見解を示した。

But breaking the rule once has set a precedent. How would Hatoyama now deal with a similar request were one to come from a nation such as the United States, South Korea or Russia?
　だが、一度ルールを破ると、それが当たり前になる恐れがある。今後、例えば米国や韓国、ロシアから同様の要請があった場合、首相はどう対応するのか。

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Treat all requests equally

According to Haketa, Hirano also said he was making the request "in view of the importance of the Japan-China relationship."
　羽毛田長官によると、平野官房長官は「日中関係の重要性にかんがみ」と話したという。

But it is precisely because Japan-China ties are important that Hirano should have explained Japan's Imperial system--which recognizes the Emperor as the symbol of the state--and other matters to Beijing, and gained China's understanding. This approach would promote bilateral friendship in the truest sense.
日中関係が大事だからこそ、きちんと象徴天皇制などについて説明し、理解を得るべきだった。それでこそ日中友好の真の促進にもなる。

The Emperor meets foreign guests more than 100 times a year. Meetings with the Emperor, in addition to being subject to the advance-application rule, have been arranged on an equitable basis, regardless of the size of countries and their political importance.
The Emperor has said it is important his official duties be performed on an equitable footing and based on certain criteria.
　天皇陛下が外国の賓客などに会われる回数は年１００回以上に上る。国の大小や政治的重要性を問わず、事前に申請があれば平等に設定されてきた。陛下も「公務はある基準に基づき公平に行われることが大切」と語られている。

The one-month rule is intended to allow for the smooth scheduling of the Emperor's many official duties. Since 2003, when the Emperor underwent prostate cancer surgery, the rule has been strictly enforced to ensure the Emperor's health is not adversely affected.
　１か月ルールは、様々な公務があり、多忙な陛下の日程調整を円滑に行うためのルールだ。陛下が２００３年に前立腺がんの手術をされて以降は、健康管理のためもあり、特に厳守されてきた。

Recently, Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada was criticized for a remark he made about the speech the Emperor delivers to mark the opening of the Diet.
　岡田外相が国会開会式での陛下のお言葉の内容について発言し批判されたのも、最近のことだ。

Acting in a way that makes it appear the Emperor is being used for political ends must be strictly avoided. The Hatoyama administration does not appear to understand this basic premise.
　天皇が時の政権に利用されたと疑念が持たれることは、厳に慎むべきなのだ。その基本を現政権はわかっていないのではないか。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Dec. 13, 2009)
（2009年12月13日01時16分 読売新聞）