Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu was elected as the Prime Minister of Japan on August 9, 1989 as a candidate of the Liberal Democratic Party. His career as Prime Minister ended at the end of 1991. He experienced the peak of Japan's bubble economy and the initial stage of the stock market and real estate collapse. This prime minister, who was in office for 812 days, also became one of the longest-serving prime ministers in Japan in the 1990s.
Of course, the Soviet Union's economic difficulties also gave this confident prime minister of an economic power hope to recover the four northern islands. In April this year, Gorbachev, as the first former Soviet president after World War II, visited Japan in April 1991. Kaifu Junki agreed to provide assistance to the former Soviet Union's economic crisis and proposed to take back the four northern islands occupied by the former Soviet Union. Of course, Gorbachev refused.
Kaifu Toshiki changed his strategy because he received news from his friends in the White House that after the Soviets disbanded the army, they would attack the navy, especially the Pacific Fleet. This would be great news for Japan. If he could resolve the issue of the Northern Four Islands, which had lasted for nearly half a century, he would become one of the greatest prime ministers in Japanese history.
So he urgently summoned the Japanese Defense Minister, Gen Nakatani, to analyze the possibility of taking back the four northern islands from the Soviet Union this time.
So far, Kaifu Toshiki is still optimistic about the sustainable development of Japan's economy. He believes that Japan has now become a world-class economic power, so it should actively seek the rights of a political power. If it can open a gap from the international events of the Soviet Union, Japan's performance will surely impress Western countries.
"Mr. Prime Minister, you said that we should negotiate with a tough attitude on the issue of the four northern islands of the Soviet Union? Isn't this a bit abrupt? After all, we have not prepared sufficient bargaining chips on this issue." Nakatani Gen is younger than Kaifu Toshiki and considers issues more cautiously. If the US-Japan Security Treaty had not restricted the use of his talents, Nakatani Gen would be far more outstanding than the mediocre defense ministers in history. After he became the Minister of Defense, he proposed to abolish the civilian control system, which showed that his ambitions would be no less than those of his ancestors, the war criminals.
"Mr. Nakatani, you should know that the Soviet Union is on the verge of collapse. If we put diplomatic pressure on it at this time, we should have hope to take back the four northern islands from the Soviet Union. Even if we can't take back all of those islands, but only take back some of them, at least we can make a big fuss at the negotiation table and force the Soviet Union to retreat and compromise." Kaifu Junshu paced back and forth, and he was very excited when he thought about the expression of the Russian bear eating at his hands. For more than half a century, except for the Russo-Japanese War, Japan has never taken advantage of Russia.
Of course, Japan is still on the brink of an economic bubble collapse, and the false prosperity did not make Kaifu Toshiki realize the precursor to the subsequent economic decline.
"Just think about it, we have been suppressed militarily by the Soviet Union for nearly a hundred years, and today we can finally use economic means to sanction these Siberian barbarians." Kaifu Toshiki became more and more excited as he spoke, and he was eager to draw up a plan to negotiate with the Soviet Union right now.
"How about we wait for a while, and when the Soviets really disband their Pacific Fleet, then propose to them the negotiation request for the Northern Four Islands." Nakatani Gen made a more compromising suggestion to Kaifu Junki. If the dying polar bear jumps up and bites back at Japan with one last bite, it will be able to make a shocking bloody hole.
"No, no, no, I can't wait any longer. We have to confront the Soviets now. Things will change over time, Nakatani Gen. Don't you see that the newly appointed Soviet President Yanaev is preparing a new round of institutional reforms? If the Soviet Union gets out of the crisis, it means that our chances of regaining the four northern islands will become slim again." Kaifu Toshiki sat back in his chair. He also had his own considerations. Based on his direct judgment, this was the most difficult period for the Soviet Union, and it was also an excellent opportunity for the Japanese to take advantage of the situation.
"I will be visiting the Maritime Self-Defense Force in a few days. Mr. Nakatani, please be fully prepared and show the heroic spirit of our Self-Defense Force in front of the media." The Prime Minister added, "If the Soviets refuse to give in, we will drag the Americans into this turmoil. I believe that they will not miss such a good opportunity to force the Soviet Union after suffering a loss on the Baltic Sea issue."
Isn't this just being the dogs of the Americans again? Nakatani Gen muttered quietly, but he couldn't say these words out loud, so he just nodded perfunctorily, while planning how to use the Kongo-class destroyer to show the might of the Japanese Navy without being dwarfed by the Kiev-class aircraft carrier.
"Okay, Prime Minister. I will definitely make everyone look at the Maritime Self-Defense Force with new eyes." Nakatani Gen nodded seriously. Dealing with public relations issues has always been his strong point.
But Kaifu Junshu forgot one thing, when the Soviet Navy was at its peak, it could have four fleets conduct war exercises in different waters at the same time, while Japan's so-called Maritime Self-Defense Force is far from reaching such a height. Ninety years ago, Japan could bully the declining Tsarist Russia by chance, but ninety years later, Japan is no longer a match for the declining red polar bear.
Kaifu Toshiki is also a man who keeps his word. A few days later, he announced an official visit to the Maritime Self-Defense Force and landed on a Kongo-class destroyer that the Japanese are proud of on a sunny day. And Nakatani Gen did a good job in front of the media. He showed the brand-new gray-black destroyer to the media. What was also eye-catching was the carefully selected tall and mighty naval images. The airborne early warning helicopters and P-2 maritime patrol aircraft formed into a formation flew over Kaifu Toshiki's head. The neat and solemn lineup gave Kaifu Toshiki an unrealistic illusion of a powerful navy.
If it weren't for the reality that there are no aircraft carriers and US troops stationed on Okinawa Island, Japanese reporters would almost think that they had returned to the level of the Imperial Navy during World War II.
Kaifu Toshiki stood on the destroyer, his heart surging with emotion. The visit ended with the Prime Minister giving a speech to the members of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. The Prime Minister stood on a temporary podium set up on the side deck of the ship, and the people sitting below the podium were all naval personnel carefully arranged by Nakatani Gen.
At this time, the person in charge of the whole process, Nakatani Gen, stood beside Kaifu Junshu, smiled and whispered, "Mr. President, are you satisfied with the scene I arranged?"
Feeling the cool sea breeze on the deck, Kaifu Toshiki replied contentedly, "Of course I am satisfied, Mr. Nakatani Gen, you have well demonstrated the perfect image of our new era Self-Defense Force."
Then he turned around and said to the Self-Defense Force members who were listening to his speech attentively, "I am very pleased to stand here today and see you all full of enthusiasm and hope. We Japanese have experienced all kinds of hardships, but we still have not forgotten to develop military strength to defend our country. Similarly, even in today's peaceful and stable world, in some areas where disputes have not yet been resolved, our military control is still needed."
A reporter nearby interrupted Kaifu Toshiki when he paused at the perfect time, "Then, Prime Minister, will you really increase the military spending of the Self-Defense Forces? Will this be seen as the resurgence of the militarist right?"
Kaifu Junshu said firmly, "No, our Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force exists to maintain peace and unity, but this does not mean that we will turn a blind eye to others occupying Japanese maritime islands for decades. We insist on resolving these disputes through negotiations."
At this point, he stroked the cold hull of the destroyer and said slowly, "But this does not mean that our armed forces will sit idly by. The Japanese Navy will resolutely fight against those countries that want to split off our sacred and indivisible territory."
There was thunderous applause from the audience. Many members of the Self-Defense Forces hoped that the navy could break free from the constraints of the treaty and become a true national power. After all, every Japanese naval general had a dream of restoring the great power of the naval empire during World War II.
Moreover, even a fool could tell which country the Japanese Prime Minister was targeting, and Kaifu Junki deliberately used the Japanese Navy instead of the Maritime Self-Defense Force. Does the different names indicate that the Japanese government, which has always been weak on island issues, is preparing for a tough negotiation this time? For a while, the media took down Kaifu Junki's speech word for word and prepared the headlines for the next day's newspapers.
But everyone is wondering, will this negotiation end in failure like the previous ones?