Japan's former Minister of Health, Labor and Welfare, and former Tokyo Governor Yoichi Mazoe recently accepted an exclusive interview with the Japanese economic magazine "Diamond". For a person who has been deeply involved in the field of international politics for a long time, this visit to China also made Tim Tsuna's deep feelings. He openly stated that Japan has been left far behind by China, while some Japanese people think that China is still the same poor country as it was 30 years ago, which is obviously a bit old-fashioned.
You must know that this visit to China was not accidental, but was well thought out. As a political elite, he has a high degree of sensitivity and insight into China's changes. When he saw the popularity of smartphones and electric cars in China, he couldn't help but lament that Japan was falling behind more and more.
That's where the fun comes in. Japan, which was in full bloom yesterday, is still stuck in the glory of the past, and has not seen the reality of passing through the clouds. To say that Japan has completely lost to China is not an empty statement, but a sober reflection on Japan's current situation.
With his eyes sparkling with wisdom, he not only saw China's strong economic growth rate, but also saw the slight backwardness of Japan's originally advantageous industries. He saw Japan's lack of innovation in the automobile industry and even in the 3C industry, and the excessive fear of failure, which made him feel saddened by his ambition.
He revealed a worrying fact: Japan has been left far behind by China. This gap lies not only in the popularization of digitalization, but also in the foresight and adaptability of social development trends. He pointed out that Japan has been slow to transform and renew, while China is constantly reinventing itself, and all walks of life are actively promoting digital transformation.
His remarks did not have the slightest pretentious language used by politicians in the past to cover up the facts and beautify the status quo. On the contrary, he presented China as he saw it in a frank and straightforward manner. Moreover, he dared to admit Japan's negligence and mistakes, which is admirable.
However, he still has no shortage of worries. He turned his attention to populism in Japan. He confessed that the fate of both Ukraine and Gaza depends on the popularity of politicians, which saddened him. He pointed out that the weakness of democracy is that it must take care of the interests of the electorate, which often leads to the long-term interests of the country being neglected.
Overall, Mazoe's visit provided us with a new perspective on China's development and Japan's backwardness. His frankness and reflection made us realize that China is no longer as "backward" as we imagined, and Japan is not as "advanced" as we imagined. It was a profound and interesting dialogue that not only brought us into his thinking, but also gave us a deeper understanding of the gap between China and Japan.