Displaced in Modernity: The Question of Ishihara Shintaro

Widely known for his nationalistic view of Japan's international status, Ishihara Shintaro is commonly considered the most eminent character among Japan's right wing politicians. This article reviews his comments on Japan's history and foreign relation and examines his deeper motivation to resist US and China so as to ensure Japan's status as a modern, civilized nation-state. In doing so, the linkage between Ishihara's ideology and that of the Japanese intellectuals before World War Two is unveiled: both try to depreciate China while enabling Japan to challenge the West as Asia's leader. However, contemporary China's rise makes it impossible to disdain China as Ishihara's predecessors have done, and thus his critique is trapped in a different dilemma.