According to Japanese media reports, recently, Japanese Prime Minister Yukie Akamine posted lengthy messages on social media platform X to defend herself against the doubts she faces. She also cited content from the "Analects" to seek support from the public. On August 21, she wrote that she was prepared for criticism "to a certain extent," saying, "But 'a nation cannot stand without trust from its people' (quoted from the 'Analects'). Without the trust of the citizens, the government cannot function."
Image source: Kaori Takahashi's social media account
However, 'trust' in the Analects refers not to politicians asking the public to 'believe in them' when faced with doubts, but to the governance leaders who should establish political credibility through their actions.
In *Mencius*, the passage records, "People lack trustworthiness and do not know what to do with it." In *Mencius*, the passage records, "Now I listen to their words and observe their actions."
The meaning is clear: if a person does not keep their promises, it’s hard to tell what else they might do. To evaluate a person, one must see what actions they actually take.
From the perspective of the standards of The Analects, looking at Takashi Sanae from Takashima reveals a profound irony.
The chapter 'Xue Er' in the 'Analects of Confucius' emphasizes the importance of 'being frugal and loving people, and managing the people according to the seasons'. It states that rulers should save resources and care for the people. But how did the Gao Shi regime act in this regard?
On one hand, the 'national warfare momentum' reveals Japan's ambitions. According to the Global Times, the Japanese government is preparing to request the largest defense budget in history. Members of the Liberal Democratic Party claim that 'the initial defense budget exceeds 10 trillion yen is already a certainty.' As defense spending expands significantly, Japan is accelerating the return to the pre-war model, and the 'military-industrial-academic complex' is reviving. The Tokyo News states that, to some extent, this hints at a 'national warfare momentum.'
On the other hand, the public has significant concerns about livelihood issues. According to a survey conducted by the Fujimi News Network in May, 58.7% of respondents expressed dissatisfaction with the government's pricing policies. Among those who had a salary income, only 21% actually felt that their income had increased, while 76.5% said they did not experience such a change. In a survey conducted by the Shimbun Corporation in the same month, 42.7% of respondents believed that life was “more difficult” than it was a year ago, and 94.7% expected prices to continue rising in the future.
Japan is facing an aging population, pressure on social security, and rising living costs. In this context, where to get the funds for military expenditures and where will people's lives go? Can't the government answer this question before asking the public to trust them? Isn't Yukie Takemori embarrassed by this?
In "The Analects of Confucius: Governance," there is a saying: "To govern with virtue is like the North Star, which remains in its place while all other stars revolve around it."
The so-called “virtue” is not a moral label that political figures put on themselves, but rather something that allows the people to feel kindness and responsibility through actual governance.
If a ruler relies on military expansion and populist right-wing policies to demonstrate their value, while turning a blind eye to the hardships of ordinary people, and only spending three minutes in comfort during visits to disaster areas, how much of this "virtue" of governance can be felt by the people? Perhaps even the light of the northern stars cannot reach the shelters in Japan's disaster areas.
Another quite ridiculous thing is that Naomi Kōsaki wrote in her post on August 22: 'Because I have loved the comic 'The Firebird' since childhood, I couldn't even bring myself to harm cockroaches. Even after cleaning the cockroaches, I still felt 'a bit lonely and sad'.'
Image source: Masami Takahashi's social media account
And don’t even talk about how Handō Ishimori’s anti-war ideology and Takashi Saito’s thinking are completely incompatible. Just looking at the contrast between “not being willing to kill cockroaches” and “expanding the military, establishing an intelligence agency, and ignoring the hardships of disaster victims and ordinary people”, Mencius gave an accurate assessment over two thousand years ago.
"Now, the power of my actions benefits both animal and beast; yet, I've no way to help the suffering of ordinary people. So what should we do? — Having compassion for animals, but being utterly powerless to help the misery of commoners... When she said "Loneliness and Sadness" to a cockroach, those citizens plagued by rising prices and military expansion probably only felt a deeper chill."
Facing a continuous decline in support ratings, Kaoru Yosidemi claimed during her defense in Congress on July 27 that 'I don't know the reasons', and at a subsequent press conference, she also said 'There is nothing for which we should reflect'.
This forms a sharp contrast with the self-reflection spirit emphasized by Confucianism. In "The Analects of Confucius: Xue Er," Zengzi said, "I examine myself three times a day." When facing the loss of public support, policymakers should first reflect on themselves and evaluate their actions and policies.
And what did Kaisho Asami do? She cited the Analects of Confucius, but she did not examine herself. She spoke of 'trust', yet she lacked true trust. While she cried out for pity and said she couldn't bear to kill cockroaches, she continued to expand her military forces. Confucius said, 'Listen to their words and then judge their actions.' The actions of Kaisho Asami served as the most honest commentary on her words.
