風知草：枝野と鈴木貫太郎＝山田孝男

(Mainichi Japan) February 6, 2012
Edano key person in Japan's nuclear future, but keeps true intentions hidden
風知草：枝野と鈴木貫太郎＝山田孝男

Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Yukio Edano recently revealed in a magazine interview that the prime minister for whom he holds the highest regard is Kantaro Suzuki.
　枝野幸男経済産業相（４７）が最も高く評価している首相は鈴木貫太郎だそうだ。最近出た雑誌「ｇ２」（講談社）のインタビューで自ら語っている。

I found the mention of a taciturn, sage-like military chancellor by an eloquent lawyer-turned-minister striking.
口達者な弁護士閣僚と、寡黙で仙人めいた軍人老宰相。この取り合わせは面白い。

Suzuki was the prime minister of Japan when it surrendered to end World War II.
　鈴木は日本が第二次大戦に負けた時の首相である。

He was the one who brought the war to a close.
鈴木は戦争を終わらせた。

So what will Edano end?
枝野は何を終わらせるのか。

"Modernity," he promptly responded when I posed the question to him last weekend.
　先週末、枝野に直接確かめると、「近代でしょう」と即答した。

And what did he mean by "modernity"?
近代って？　

"A society of standardized mass production."
「規格大量生産の社会」。

Was that the same as bringing nuclear power to an end?
原発を終わらせることとは違う？　

"Nuclear power is not (our biggest challenge). Rather, energy conservation is."
「原発がメーン（の課題）ではない。むしろ省エネがポイントです」。枝野はそう言った。

The aforementioned interview spanned 20 pages in the most recent issue of the magazine G2, and addressed a wide range of topics -- including disillusionment with regime change, energy policy, the Constitution, and Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) bigwig Ichiro Ozawa.
　「ｇ２」のインタビューは２０ページに及ぶ。政権交代への幻滅、エネルギー政策、憲法、小沢一郎と話題は多岐にわたるが、

The common thread throughout the entire interview, however, was "the abandonment of modernity."
全編を貫くキーワードは「脱近代」である。
観念的と言えば観念的。

As the interviewer, Katsuyuki Yakushiji, a professor of sociology at Toyo University and a former chief editor of the Asahi Shimbun's political news section, challenged Edano on his highly conceptual remarks.
インタビュアーの薬師寺克行東洋大教授（元朝日新聞政治部長）が、さまざまな突っ込みを入れている。

"So what do you mean by modernization?" Yakushiji asked.
　－－近代化とは？

Edano answered: "The economic development process in which we achieve affluence by selling products to other countries."
　枝野「経済成長のもとで、物を他国に売って豊かになっていくプロセスです」

"Are the things that the DPJ views as problematic, including the widening gap between the rich and the poor and rising unemployment, signs of the contradictions arising (from continued modernization)?" Yakushiji pushed further.
　－－民主党が批判している格差拡大や非正規雇用の増加はそうした（＝近代化継続の）矛盾の表れですか？

"Countries that have achieved modernity are chased by countries who are newly reaching modernity.
　枝野「近代化を成し遂げた国は、新たに近代化する国に追いかけられ、

When these modern countries try to compete on the same footing as up-and-coming countries, their societies deteriorate.
（新興国と）同じ土俵で競争すれば社会が悪くなっていく。

What (former Prime Minister Junichiro) Koizumi did was just that.
小泉（純一郎）さんがやったことがそれ。

I think such issues need to be overcome through the creation of a 'postmodern' social system."
こうした問題は『ポスト近代』の社会システムをつくることで克服すべきだと思う」……。

Though Suzuki and Edano may seem to have nothing in common at first glance, their similarities become clearer when one focuses on a certain characteristic: they're both key figures in deciding national policy whose real intentions are difficult to read.
　似ても似つかぬ２人だが、見方によっては共通点がある。国の重要政策を左右するキーパーソンだが、ハラの内は読めないというところだ。

Suzuki became prime minister in April 1945, nearing the end of World War II.

Cabinet members comprised military and "pro-peace" factions, and the legend goes that Suzuki, a former naval officer, did not reveal his true intentions.
　鈴木は第二次大戦末期の１９４５（昭和２０）年４月、首相になった。

Instead, he committed himself to saving the face of those pushing for more fighting, while artfully leading the way to peace.
当時、内閣は和平派閣僚と抗戦派閣僚の呉越同舟だった。海軍出身の鈴木は本心を明かさず、抗戦派の顔を立てながら、巧みに和平へ導いたというのが通説である。

How about Edano?
　枝野はどうか。

When it comes down to it, is he for nuclear power, or against it?
この人はつまるところ脱原発なのか、原発維持なのか。

People on both sides are desperately trying to figure out what lies in the minister's heart of hearts.
脱原発派も、原発維持派も、枝野の本心を読み解こうと一生懸命だ。

Of Japan's 54 nuclear reactors, only three are now running. If they, too, undergo scheduled inspections, all 54 will be out of operation by late April, with no prospects of restarting.
　全国５４基の原発は順次定期検査に入っており、このままなら４月末に全部止まる。

Edano had been expected to pour his efforts into talking local municipalities into giving the go-ahead for the restarts, but in a newspaper interview published on Jan. 27, he suggested that Japan would get by fine without nuclear power.
枝野は自治体に再稼働容認を働きかけるかと思いきや、「原発ゼロでも大丈夫」と言わんばかりの新聞インタビュー（朝日新聞１月２７日朝刊）が出た。

At a press conference on Jan. 18, Edano also made the comment: "Emotionally, I lean toward the notion that we should be as cautious as possible regarding the resumption of operations (of nuclear reactors)."
　「心情としては、再稼働に限りなく慎重であるべきだという主張に近い」という発言（１月１８日記者会見）もあった。

This is the same person, however, who has given his permission to the export of Japan's nuclear technology, and stands by the government's new growth strategy under which the exports will be carried out.
その枝野は、同時に、原発輸出を容認し、新成長戦略の旗を降ろさぬ枝野でもある。

Edano and the DPJ are at the center of contradiction and chaos.
　枝野も、民主党政権も、矛盾と混乱のまっただ中にいる。

Pressed about this, he responded: "The Meiji Restoration was also a time of confusion. Turbulent times themselves are not a problem. What's important is whether our actions lead to the construction of a new era."
そこを突かれると、枝野は切り返した。「明治維新も混乱期だった。混乱そのものが問題なのではなく、次の時代の建設に向かう動きかどうかということが本質だと思います」

It was in explaining to his interviewer that he is currently not aiming to become prime minister that Edano mentioned Suzuki.
　枝野が鈴木の名を持ち出したのは、「自分は今は首相を目指していない」と強調するくだりだった。

Suzuki only agreed to take the helm of the Cabinet at the recommendation of the Emperor's advisers and coaxing from the Emperor himself.
鈴木は敗戦間近、重臣の推挙と天皇の説得で渋々、内閣を率いた。

"People sought out by the specific era should become prime minister," Edano said. "They are the ones who accomplish great things."
「時代から求められた人が首相になるべきで、そういう人が大きな仕事をするんですよ」と枝野。

Will this era be calling on Edano?
　時代は枝野を呼び出すだろうか。

(By Takao Yamada, Expert Senior Writer)
（敬称略）（毎週月曜日掲載）

毎日新聞　2012年2月6日　東京朝刊