Member of the House of Representatives Shibayama Masahiko worked as an attorney before answering the Liberal Democratic Party’s public call for candidates. He has served in many important positions, including minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology. Motoya Toshio spoke with Shibayama about topics like his close relationship with Abe Shinzo, longstanding interest in constitutional reform, and security issues facing Japan.

 

(M) Thank you for joining me on Big Talk today, and for attending APA Group’s anniversary party on June 3.

(S) Thank you for inviting me.

(M) Could you tell us a little about yourself?

(S) I won my first election in 2004, one year after Abe Shinzo became secretary-general of the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in his 40s. In 2004, he took on the huge challenge of holding the first nationwide public call for candidates in the House of Representatives special election for the Saitama 8th district. The special election was conducted because LDP National Diet members were arrested for electoral malpractice, and the party was struggling to find replacements. I happened to live in Tokorozawa City, part of the 8th district. The LDP obviously expected a fierce fight because of the past election violations, and no local legislators were willing to volunteer. To break this deadlock, Abe decided on public recruitment to find candidates in an impartial way.

(M) I also knew Abe quite well.

(S) I was an attorney back then. I supported the LDP because it was working to revise the constitution – an issue of personal interest to me – but I thought the old-fashioned disposition that led to election violations was problematic. I saw a small article about the open recruitment in the newspaper. Like being struck by lightning, I was immediately inspired to submit my name. Looking back, I also wanted to assist then-Prime Minister Koizumi Junichiro with reforming the LDP, and I thought my career as a lawyer would be a positive factor at that timing. My parents were not politicians, nor were any of my relatives. I was chosen from 81 applicants from across Japan. I was lucky to win the election, and I’ve worked as a politician in the Diet for two decades ever since. I was minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology in Abe’s Cabinet from 2018 to 2019.

(M) That was very fast, at such an early point in your career!

(S) I think so. I was named parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs, followed by my appointment as minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology. That was when the Heisei era ended and the new Reiwa era began. I carried out various reforms as the education minister, then made use of that experience in the LDP’s Education Reformation Headquarters, which examines education over the mid-to-long term. The director was Hase Hiroshi, who named me as his successor when he ran for governor of Ishikawa Prefecture. The headquarters was originally under Abe’s direct jurisdiction. Policy Research Council Chairperson Takaichi Sanae renamed it the “Research Commission for Strengthening Education and Human Resources,” and it was brought under the jurisdiction of the Policy Research Council chairperson. I became the commission’s chairperson. The Policy Research Council chairperson after Takaichi was Hagiuda Koichi, and the current one is Tokai Kisaburo. Under the council, we put together written proposals about educational reform.

(M) I’ve known Hase since before he was a Diet member. We met at a pro wrestling event in North Korea. He is an extremely cheerful person, and we’ve become good friends. I helped him extensively when he ran in the House of Councillors election from Ishikawa Prefecture. Afterwards, he won a seat in the House of Representatives, then was appointed minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology in 2015. I’m also friendly with his wife, Takami Kyoko.

(S) Hase is a former professional wrestler. He’s a very talented man who knows a great deal about educational issues. I’ve learned a lot from him.

 

(M) I’ve known Abe since we were young, and I was previously vice-chairman of an organization working to help him become prime minister. I believe he was a truly skilled politician, and he accomplished a great deal during his second administration. I thought he could still contribute to the political world after stepping down. What happened was so unfortunate… Perhaps constitutional reform could have been accomplished under Abe, but no progress has been made after he quit or since his death. Wars are occurring in Ukraine and Gaza. Tension is growing in East Asia, including actions by China and North Korea. The most important thing is for Japan to become a decent country that is willing to protect itself. Many citizens and Diet members mistakenly believe the United States would come to our rescue according to the security treaty. A true alliance means that Japan should be capable of defending itself, and should rely on allies when it needs additional help. That’s what the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty is for. We absolutely must amend the constitution to build a self-defense structure.

(S) I agree entirely. We’ve had a consistently pacifist stance in the postwar period under the Constitution of Japan. However, even though Japan renounces war, the sensible interpretation is that we have the right to self-defense, as recognized in the Charter of the United Nations. Strength is necessary for defense. This is not clearly described in the constitution, which states that Japan will not maintain “war potential.” No other nations have constitutions of this type. Abe was strenuously searching for pragmatic means to acquire self-defense capabilities, leading to the proposal to clearly specify the role of the Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) in Article 9.

(M) Yes, but no progress has been made on constitutional revision, even though it’s in the LDP platform. I feel like the party has lost sight of its starting point.

(S) Speaking frankly, defense and security are not topics that earn politicians many votes. I grew up near the U.S. Armed Forces’ Tokorozawa Communications Station. Residents carried out an energetic campaign to have the land returned. This has been steadily accomplished, and regular citizens can now use the East-West Connecting Road opened in 2020. The Ukraine War broke out in 2022. Some say the Russian invasion couldn’t be stopped because Ukraine is not a member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Tension is growing in East Asia right now. It seems more people are coming to understand that Japan could be drawn into unforeseen circumstances, just like Ukraine, if we do not constantly think about our defense and alliances.

(M) The Ukraine War has certainly made a big impact.

(S) Japan has fully depended on the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty while keeping its defense spending at 1% of the gross domestic product (GDP) for a long time. A Cabinet decision was made about the new Three Defense Documents in December 2022, setting forth a plan to increase the defense budget to 43 trillion yen within the next five years. The goal is to raise spending to equal 2% of the GDP, on the same level as European countries. Japan has carried out defense equipment and other types of initiatives. Citizens are still not very interested in national security, which is related to national budgets and taxation, and it’s hard to get them to understand these issues. This is a problem with our educational system. Children must be taught fundamental information about security and the complex international circumstances of today.

(M) Yes, that’s true about education. I also think Diet members should do more to promote the importance of security, even if it loses them some votes.

(S) You are right. As you’ve pointed out, Japan’s over-dependence on the American security treaty makes it harder for people to speak about the importance of our own security policy. Another hindrance is the idealist viewpoint that says “peace diplomacy” is sufficient to ensure peace. Many opposition party members hold to this doctrine, but countless historical tragedies show that this ideal doesn’t work. We must not be overly optimistic about the international community – an affluent country cannot protect its independence and people through diplomacy alone, without ways to defend itself. Perhaps we should state this clearly whenever we have the chance.

(M) Yes, a balance of power is key. Wars do not occur because a country has great strength; they break out in vacuums of power. To prevent war, we must keep a constant eye on how other nations are equipping themselves and how strong they are, then take appropriate steps to maintain a balance of power. The weak are attacked. This is the common wisdom of international politics. Many Japanese people have the bizarre belief that peace comes just by asking for it, and that a military leads to war. Politicians should take the initiative to correct this type of thinking.

(S) I agree. Another big factor is that the media hasn’t sufficiently reported on the harsh international situation. People are finally coming to see direct impacts on our daily lives, such as rising energy prices caused by the Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, and Japanese news outlets are frequently covering global topics. Based on public opinion polls, I’m hopeful that many people today are willing to consider constitutional reform.

 

(M) The constitutional revision process is itself too difficult. I think we should amend Article 96 to make it easier.

(S) I’ve been part of the Diet’s Constitution Research Committee since my first term in 2004. Both houses have these organizations. No ministers take part, unlike regular committees. They are places for party representatives to research and discuss constitutional reform. First-term Diet members are not usually involved, but I became a member thanks to my past career as an attorney. The name has been changed to the “Commission on the Constitution.” I was the executive secretary before being appointed acting chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council. The Constitution Research Committee members included Shindo Yoshitaka, the current minister in charge of economic revitalization. We’ve discussed constitutional revision without being bound by party factions. The LDP is currently talking about constitutional change in the Headquarters for the Promotion of Revision to the Constitution led by Furuya Keiji. There are huge obstacles in the way, since a motion is only allowed with approval from two thirds of the members in both houses. This means no proposal can be submitted unless the Commission on the Constitution expects two thirds of the Diet members to agree, including opposition parties.

(M) In my view, it seems like America purposefully included these difficult requirements in the constitution to prevent Japan from regaining military power that can threaten the U.S. I think America wanted to keep Japan under its control, even while concluding the security treaty. Of course, nations use strategies to weaken other countries according to their own advantages. Japan will not survive unless we do something to change this situation. We must free ourselves from this American yoke by revising the constitution, including the issue of self-defense.

(S) The U.S. is divided among conservatives (the Republican Party) and liberals (the Democratic Party). However, American and Japanese liberals have entirely different views on security. The U.S. maintains its commitment to security and independence after changes of government. The current President Joe Biden is commander-in-chief of the armed forces, although he is a liberal Democrat, and is the leader of America’s military mission to safeguard its people. If a regime change took place in Japan and someone from the main opposition party became prime minister, would they be able to lead the JSDF with a strong spirit of self-defense? I want Japanese people to contemplate this in a cool-headed way.

(M) I think citizens should learn and think more about national security. If they did, maybe politicians could acquire more votes by discussing this topic.

(S) I believe that myself and other members of the LDP must implement policy for self-defense, even if it doesn’t win votes. The U.S. is no longer the “policeman” of the world. China is striving to increase its military power while displaying a stance of solidarity with Russia. Russia is rapidly getting closer to and enhancing its military relationship with North Korea under Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un. The situation in Japan’s neighboring countries is only growing more tense.

(M) That’s why Japan must strengthen its defense cooperation with the U.S. and other countries. I think our relationship with India will be of particular importance. India has a massive population and is experiencing rapid economic growth. Because it is engaged in a border dispute with China, India is an essential partner for Japanese defense. Japan and the Philippines affirmed their cooperation at the Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting in July. We should build on these multilevel relationships to create a national structure that prevents attacks.

(S) The LDP government is stepping up collaboration with nations that share our values, just as you describe. This includes India, Australia, and other countries in the Free and Open Indo-Pacific framework, along with NATO countries. China is attempting to become the economic and military leader of the Southeast Asia region. I think it will be important for Japan to work with Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Indonesia, and Singapore, like our enhanced collaboration with the Philippines.

(M) Those types of partnerships are essential to cover what Japan lacks. We spoke about the idealist doctrine of peace diplomacy. Diplomacy means more than just having friendly relations – a country will be consumed by its friends unless its diplomacy is backed by power. We must carry out diplomacy while prioritizing a balance of power.

 

(S) History clearly shows that war breaks out not because a nation has military force, but rather when the balance of power collapses. We must educate people about this. Japan’s territory was significantly reduced after its defeat in World War II. We should teach citizens about territorial disputes, including Japan’s views and those of involved countries. The government curriculum guidelines are being steadily normalized. They were modified during Abe’s time based on past confusion in educational settings, including the concepts of cherishing our country, correctly sharing information about territorial issues, and respecting the flag. These guidelines are finally coming into widespread use in schools. Abe made devoted efforts in the field of educational issues.

(M) His death was so unfortunate.

(S) We, the Diet members who are left, must try to accomplish the things he was working for. I think this will be of extreme importance in the increasingly complex global community.

(M) I hope you will work as a leader in the LDP and political world to help make Japan a better country. At the end of the article, I always ask for a “word for the youth.”

(S) Today, you can learn about any topic by researching it on the Internet. It’s important to be interested in many different fields, but people are only able to pursue their interests, try new things, and build futures because Japan is such a safe, secure country. I want young people to embrace challenges and work to regain Japan’s vitality. At the same time, they should learn about Japan’s interests and gain knowledge based on an interest in economics, welfare, and other facets of society. I hope they will have a particular awareness of national security and the constitution, as much as people in other countries. I look forward to seeing more young people of this type, and I will do all I can to help cultivate these human resources.

(M) In particular, we must improve our educational system that focuses too much on memorization and test scores. People have to think for themselves. In this Internet era, it makes no sense to praise “elites” who simply memorize a certain amount of information. I think Japan would become a more affluent country by recognizing diverse values, broadening our own values, and cultivating people who can grow in many different fields.

(S) I agree. I’m especially concerned about people educated through textbooks based on the postwar pacifist ideal, whose thinking is limited to this viewpoint. International circumstances are obviously changing, and people must learn values for this new era. Generative AI and other technologies are progressing every day. More and more new fields need human resources, like cybersecurity and rocket development. It’s said that young people tend to be introverted, and that they prioritize stability. I will work hard to encourage them to learn new values and take on challenges in new fields.

(M) I look forward to seeing what you do in the future. Thank you for joining me.

(S) Thank you.

 

BIOGRAPHY
Shibayama Masahiko

Born in the City of Nagoya in 1965. Began working at Sumitomo Realty & Development after graduating from the University of Tokyo’s Faculty of Law in 1990. Passed the bar examination in 1998 and became a certified attorney in 2000. Won his first election in 2004 after being chosen by the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) in its public call for candidates, and has served seven consecutive terms. His past positions include parliamentary vice-minister for foreign affairs, senior vice-minister for internal affairs and communications, and special advisor to the prime minister. Was minister of education, culture, sports, science and technology in the reshuffled Abe Cabinet from 2018 to 2019. Is currently acting chairperson of the LDP Policy Research Council.