＜prologue＞
I started a blog called “The Baby Boomer Generation’s Miscellaneous Blog”（Dankai-sedai no garakutatyou:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳） in July 2018, about a year before I fully retired. More than six years have passed since then, and the number of articles has increased considerably.
So, in order to make them accessible to people who don’t understand Japanese, I decided to translate my past articles into English and publish them.
It may sound a bit exaggerated, but I would like to make this my life’s work.
It should be noted that haiku and waka （Japanese short fixed form poems） are quite difficult to translate into English, so some parts are written in Japanese.
If you are interested in haiku or waka and would like to know more, please read introductory or specialized books on haiku or waka written in English.
I also write many articles about the Japanese language. I would be happy if these inspire more people to want to learn Japanese.
my blog’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多（がらくた）帳 | 団塊世代が雑学や面白い話を発信しています
my X’s URL:団塊世代の我楽多帳（@historia49）さん / X
<Added November 24, 2020> UN Working Group Report Deems Ghosn’s Arrest and Detention in Japan Unjustified
At a press conference following the Cabinet meeting on November 24, Justice Minister Yoko Kamikawa announced that the Japanese government filed an objection on November 20 to the opinion issued by the UN Human Rights Council’s Working Group on Arbitrary Detention, which deemed the arrest and detention of former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn in Japan “unjust.”
The Minister of Justice further refuted the report, stating, “It is extremely regrettable that an opinion based solely on the defendant’s unilateral arguments and misinterpretation of the facts was published. It is completely unacceptable.” She also stated, “Japan’s criminal justice system guarantees fundamental human rights, establishes due process, and is implemented appropriately,” emphasizing that the criminal proceedings related to Ghosn do not constitute arbitrary detention.
I believe Justice Minister Kamikawa’s objection is justified.
I have long felt that several UN reports are clearly unjustified. Examples include the Coomaraswamy Report and the McDougall Report on the So-called Comfort Women and the UN Report on the Independence of the Japanese Media.
The UN report on Ghosn is also clearly unjust. I believe it exposes the absurdity of UN reports.
I feel that the time has come for Japan to take severe countermeasures against this unjust UN action, including suspending financial contributions.
On January 8, 2020, commencing at 10:00 p.m. (Japan time), Ghosn held a two-and-a-half-hour press conference in Lebanon that amounted to a “solo performance where he uttered all sorts of nonsense.”
During the press conference, he made “selfish claims that ignored the crimes he committed” that are completely unacceptable to the Japanese public. This is pure propaganda.
I would like to consider this point in this article.
1. The lie of a “Japan-Nissan conspiracy (coup)”
This is a cunning propaganda ploy to circumvent their many criminal acts by fabricating the story of a “Japan-Nissan conspiracy (coup).”
2. The lie of “Japan is presumed guilty”
He criticized the Japanese judicial system, stating that “Japan’s judicial system, with a 99.4% conviction rate, is based on a presumption of guilt, not innocence,” but this is a complete misinterpretation.
Even if the police investigate a case and arrest a suspect, Japanese prosecutors will thoroughly investigate the case and, if there is “sufficient evidence to prosecute,” they will either “defer prosecution” or “decline not to prosecute.” This means that “if indicted, the result is almost always a guilty verdict.”
In other words, Japanese prosecutors do not indict unless they are extremely certain of the suspect’s guilt. Unlike other countries, Japanese prosecutors do not simply indict even in cases where there is a possibility of innocence and then settle the matter in court.
3. The Lie That “Japan’s Judiciary System is Hostage Justice”
Taking advantage of his lenient bail conditions and lax lawyer supervision, he appears to have contacted his wife, Carol, and her accomplices to “destroy evidence” and “discuss escape plans.”
There are legitimate reasons for the long-term detention of defendants like him who are “at risk of destroying evidence” or “flight risk.” Promoting the erroneous view that “Japan’s judicial system is hostage justice” as if it were true is nothing but propaganda.
The Japanese government, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and others should do more to promote the legitimacy of Japan’s judicial system overseas and develop information and public relations strategies to counter despicable propaganda like that of Ghosn.
I think it is commendable that the Minister of Justice promptly issued a rebuttal statement twice, once in the early hours of the following day and once the morning after Ghosn’s press conference.
However, while English and French versions of the statement are posted on the Ministry of Justice’s website, I doubt many people read them. Instead, I think Japan’s rebuttals and arguments would reach more people around the world if they made some effort, such as having Ministry of Foreign Affairs officials who are fluent in English or French read the statements live and make them available on YouTube.
4. The Lie: “I’m a Charismatic and Brilliant CEO Who Turned Nissan Around When It Was Near Dying”
As I detailed in my previous article, “Former Chairman Ghosn Privatized the Company,” the truth is that he was not a charismatic CEO, but rather a “worm in the lion’s body” who exploited Nissan.
He was a “ruthless, heartless cost-cutter” who “would make any Japanese person hesitate,” and he gave excessive sales subsidies to dealerships to increase apparent sales, ultimately solidifying Nissan’s poor reputation overseas as a “cheap car.” That alone would be bad enough, but not only did he “handle” huge executive compensation as an “absolute authority,” he also privatized Nissan and its affiliates, mixing public and private interests for his own personal gain, and was a “worm in the lion’s body” who caused great damage to the company.
5. The lie that “I had no choice but to flee unjust persecution”
He claims that “I fled unjust persecution that ignored my basic human rights, and I acted to restore my honor and reveal the truth.” However, his claim that he had no choice but to violate the court-approved “bail conditions” and flee overseas by illegal means (illegible) is completely unreasonable and unconvincing. It is a unilateral and unfair attempt to denigrate Japan.
6. The lie that “I won’t talk about the method of my escape because that’s not what this press conference is for”
While naming the Nissan officials who agreed to the plea bargain and criticizing them as “masterminds of the conspiracy,” he refuses to disclose the names of his accomplices in the illegal escape or the method of his escape, which is evidence that he recognizes that he committed a crime. This is a cunning tactic to deflect criticism by “pretending to be the victim of a coup.”
Not only Japanese media, but many international media outlets were surely hoping for an explanation of the method of his escape.
7. The lie that “Only three Japanese media outlets were allowed because the venue was small, and there was no discrimination”
Many Japanese media outlets requested to attend, but most were not. Only three companies (Asahi Shimbun, TV Tokyo, and Weekly Post) were allowed to attend. This was likely to avoid tough questions from the Japanese media.
A spokesperson for the defendant stated, “The 8th was not a press conference, but a limited gathering (media roundtable) with media outlets with which Mr. Ghosn had built relationships in the past. The invitation list for Japan was limited.”
This is similar to the “Dialogue with the Nation” held by South Korean President Moon Jae-in on November 19, 2019, which was completely devoid of any harsh criticism of President Moon Jae-in, and instead resembled a “President Moon Jae-in fan meeting,” with only comments of praise and support for him.
8. The lie of “insisting innocence at a press conference”
I believe Ghosn is guilty, but if he truly believes he is innocent, he should have boldly asserted that fact as a defendant in a Japanese court. It is completely unreasonable for him to blatantly state his own position at a press conference.
If he claims to have been a charismatic executive, he should behave in a manner befitting that title. Breaking the law by secretly leaving the country and repeatedly spreading self-serving propaganda to foreign media is completely unacceptable, even for a normal person.