Chinese fishing vessel ramming the Japanese costal guard ship

Japan has been trying to promote its culture and tourism by the slogan of “Cool Japan”, much like how England promoted itself in the past. Unfortunately, the recent diplomatic defeat against China is promoting “pussy Japan” to the world.  

As a simple background, a Chinese fishing vessel off the coast of Senkaku Islands, claimed by the Japanese but disputed by China, allegedly deliberately rammed into the Japanese coastal guard patrol ships when the patrol ships warned the fishing vessel of entering Japanese waters.  The captain was detained for persecution under the Japanese law.  China responded to this detainment with vehement retaliation, including informal trade embargoes of materials, detaining four Japanese engineers working in China, and economical and political pressures.  Japan succumbed to these pressures and released the captain, although it had every right and duty per international law to persecute the captain, with recorded video evidence.  This set a precedent for Japanese foreign diplomacy to easily fold under pressure, and also puts the coastal guard in danger as such precedent would allow illegal entry into Japanese waters under the threat of economic and political sanctions.  Mobster-type politics is being played in Asia, and Japan is now completely the underdog of the new territorial boss, China.  While the Chinese government plays a nasty hand, the ultimate responsibility lies in Japans ability to defend itself.

There was no Japanese Assertion.

In medias outside of Japan, only the vociferous demands and statements by the chinese were noted. The only Japanese statement was a denial of any territorial disputes in the area.  To anyone who does not know of the details of the territorial dispute, Japan was basically silent.

Japan wished for a Nonexistent Speedy Resolution

Under political and economic pressure, Japan buckled immediately and easily.  There probably was pressure from US as well. But did Japan really think this would be over, nice and cozy after the captain has been released? China has been itching for assertion and expansion in Asia as the new leader, using anti-Japanese sentiments to rally up support for the regime.  Of course, china is demanding apology and compensation, as well as claiming the Senkaku Islands and starting to extract resources.  While this is practically invasion, journalists are specuating that this “may turn into a long-term conflict.” Of course this would be a long-term conflict. This was never about the fishing boat captain, but a turf war.  Its scary to think that the people in charge of foreign diplomacy was thinking this issue was about the fishing boat captain.  The government hasn’t even negotiated terms for the four Japanese engineers detained in Japan as part of the Chinese retaliation, which may be executed like the few Japanese previously executed in China this year.

Japan completely lost its turf to a rising superpower simply because it didn’t pay attention.