The following is from a feature article in the monthly magazine Will, which will be on sale tomorrow, titled "Asahi is Letting on to China！". It is from a unique feature in a dialogue between Mr. Masayuki Takayama and Mr. Sekihei.
It is a must-read not only for the Japanese people but for people worldwide.

When you hear China's argument, you may think, "Hey, that was written before in the Asahi Shimbun. ......"
Speak up clearly.

Takayama　
China was furious over the release of treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.
The Chinese are making such a fuss about "nuclear-contaminated water" that it has spread to the general public, and day after day, restaurants in Fukushima and Tokyo are receiving an endless stream of unsolicited phone calls from Chinese residents.
Sekihei
"Did you drink the 'contaminated water'? Did it taste good? "
We can't handle it.
Takayama　
A post on X (formerly Twitter) caught my attention.
A Chinese man (real name unknown) with the handle "Yutokyo Shirokubun" uploaded a video in which he angrily claims that the signboard at the Hana-chan izakaya in Shinjuku Gyoenmae is "racist" and "discriminatory against nationality.
Sekihei
The sign read, "To Chinese people, all our restaurant's food is from Fukushima Prefecture.
Takayama　
The Chinese expressed their anger and then called 110 to the police in Japanese, saying, "This is an incident.
The police even interviewed the owner of Hana-chan.
From the Chinese point of view, they did not like the word "Chinese.
Sekihei　
As a Chinese national, I think this constitutes nationality discrimination. Why is it written "Chinese"? I want it erased," he protested.
The owner explained that he intended to say, "We use products from Fukushima Prefecture, so if you don't like ingredients from Fukushima Prefecture, please don't come into our restaurant."
Takayama　
We also know that the Chinese person who posted the video had mocked in the past, saying that Hiroshima's specialties are atomic bombs.
Anyway, he is an outrageous guy.
The owner of "Hana-chan" didn't even use a derogatory word.
He uses beautiful words and makes them sarcastic.
What is there to complain about?
Two years ago, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department, troubled by a sharp increase in pickpocketing crimes, distributed a flyer saying, "Call 110 if you think it might be a Chinese."
At that time, the Chinese perpetrators did not complain, but the Asahi Shimbun, a newspaper that seems to be a stooge for the Chinese, complained, and the flyers were taken back.
It would have been better for the Chinese if we had told them exactly what the Japanese thought.
Sekihei　
The Japanese government, however, has decided to remain silent.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno reads from a manuscript without any power.
Takayama　
It is the same as the diplomat's answer, which is called "reading from a stick.
He says, "It has been scientifically proven," but that's not even a rebuttal.
Sekihei
That's why the Chinese side is getting more and more desperate.
Takayama　
Regarding China's suspension of imports of Japanese marine products, some in the Japanese government are considering filing a complaint with the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Sekihei
One way, but what Japan should do now, is to issue an open letter of inquiry to Xi Jinping in the prime minister's name.　
"On what basis do you say 'contaminated water'?"　
If you can't provide the evidence, doesn't that mean China is lying?"　
We can confront them with such content.
And then, translate it into English, French, Italian, German, Korean ..., and any other language and let the world know about it.
There is no doubt that Xi Jinping will be in a tight spot.

They are just like the thugs' cause.
Takayama.　
In the first place, the Chinese didn't know what Japanese seafood was like, but now they eat toro, kabayaki, and even saury.
Sekihei　
Since August 24, when the treated water was released, I have eaten fish every two or three days.
It is because I have always liked sashimi dishes (laughs).
The price of saury has skyrocketed in Japan because Chinese fishing vessels have even ventured into the fishing grounds of the Pacific Ocean and overfished saury and other fish.
Takayama.　
They ravaged the fishing grounds of the Pacific Ocean as much as they could.
However, if we let them say, "Both Japanese seafood and the Pacific Ocean are contaminated," the Chinese will not touch Japanese seafood.
In fact, sales of fishery products dropped after the Chinese government took the step of suspending imports of all Japanese fishery products.
Although it may be worrisome from the suppliers' perspective, Japan may again see a situation where large saury can be eaten in the fall.
Sekihei
That is very good.
Takayama　
Even if we tell them not to fish saury without permission, they are not the ones who will listen to us.
Even tuna consumption in China has skyrocketed.
Chinese buyers were roaming the auctions at the Toyosu market and buying all the fish.
China was stealing Japan's beautiful foodstuffs.
But it would be ironic if the Chinese government's declaration of "contaminated water" has calmed such Japanese taste woes.　
Does the impure nation that ate bats and spread the coronavirus to the rest of the world think it is cute and picturesque to say, "We are worried about 'contaminated water'"?
Sekihei
Instead, the current disturbance is a chance for China to show the world what a terrible country it is.
Until now, China has been beating Japan over the historical issue.
But because it is a historical issue, it has been challenging to prove the truth.
However, in the current flirtation, the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency), the U.S., and other related countries have certified no problem with the treated water. Still, only China has decided it is "contaminated water" and is making a fuss about it.
Takayama　
They have not shown any evidence that the water is "contaminated water" at all.
Sekihei
That's right!　
The government of the People's Republic of China openly lied contrary to the facts and, based on that, took measures to embargo Japanese marine products.
It is the same as a thug's cause.
If they want to complain so much, they should organize a scientific team on the Chinese side and verify the facts scientifically and objectively.
They could even request cooperation from the Japanese side.
But China would never do that.
The Chinese side fully understands that the water is just treated water.
But if it can be used as a diplomatic card, the facts are secondary.

Asahi suggested an idea to China.
Takayama.　
Listening to the plausible counterarguments from the Chinese side, I think some Japanese people suggest an idea.
In fact, the Asahi Shimbun newspaper actively questioned whether the expression "treated water" was sufficient.　
According to Asahi, secondary cooling water from nuclear reactors in regular operation and high concentrations of tritiated water are discharged in many countries as they are not harmful.
However, at Fukushima, the nuclear-contaminated water from the reactors, which had experienced a meltdown the likes of which the world had never seen before, was filtered, purified, and finally turned into fresh water, which contained high concentrations of tritium. They wonder if it is fair to call it the same treated water.
In other words, they may look the same, but their "origin" is not good.
Yuzuru Tsuboi, who still persistently writes terrible things about Abe, is in charge of the evening edition of Asahi's "Elementary Particles," he is making a point about the "origin" of the water.
Even though they are H₂0, he writes, "It wasn't born in Japan" in a way that seems to discriminate against Koreans living in Japan.
"Is it harmless? If so, why don't you drink it instead of washing it in the sea? He also says, "What?"
Sekihei
It is the same as what China says.
Takayama　
As for the basis for the "contaminated water," I feel that Asahi has put it there.
The tritium released from the Taishan nuclear power plant complex in China is up to 6.5 times higher in concentration than the "treated water" from Fukushima.
Tritium is also being released from nuclear power plants in South Korea without concern.
The difference between this and the treated water from Fukushima is that it came from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which suffered a major meltdown.
That is the only point that Asahi pursues.
Sekihei　
So, the Chinese government is making good use of Asahi's logic.
Takayama　
When I hear China's argument, I often think, "Hey, I read that in Asahi before" (laughs).
The other day, "Elementary Particles" wrote, "The IAEA report is one of the steps that should be taken. It should not be a brocade."
Chinese spokesman Wang Wenbin said the same thing.
Sekihei　
The Nanjing Incident has the same composition.
Until the 1980s, the Chinese government never mentioned a single word about the Nanking Incident.
When I was a high school student, history textbooks did not include any mention of the Nanking Incident.
However, a reporter from Asahi, Katsuichi Honda, went to China and published an article that burned up the existence of the Nanking Incident.
It was indeed an act that benefited the enemy, providing China with material for its attack on Japan.
Since then, the Chinese government has been using the Nanking Incident to attack Japan in every possible way.
Takayama.　
The Asahi Shimbun reported that the Nanking Massacre was committed by the 23rd Miyakonojo Regiment, which had taken the initiative.
The 23rd Regiment was outraged and protested, but Asahi got away.
The Chinese thought, "It was true after all, a first-rate Japanese newspaper wrote about it. The Chinese believed that it was true after all, and using the report as a tailwind, the number of victims of the Nanjing Massacre jumped from 100,000 to 300,000 during the Jiang Zemin era.
When I visited Nanjing in the 1990s, I met a Chinese man who guided me to Katsuichi Honda.
I asked him sternly, "Are you the source of the lie?"
Since I was with Akira Nakamura, a former professor emeritus at Dokkyo University, we argued with each other.

Issues Related to Security
Sekihei
It is dangerous for Japan to neglect the "contaminated water" scandal and the Nanking Incident.
This is because they involve issues related to Japan's security.
China now claims that Japan has contaminated the world's oceans by discharging "contaminated water" into the Pacific Ocean.
Then, radical posts on the Internet increased.
For example, phrases like, "How many nukes do we have to fire at Japan to annihilate it?"
Takayama　
I didn't realize that the situation had escalated to that level.
Sekihei
Of course, the Chinese government has not publicly stated that it will launch a nuclear attack on Japan, but some have become radicalized among the Chinese people.
It is not only about "contaminated water."
In the Nanjing Incident, some say, "Since the Japanese army massacred 300,000 citizens of Nanjing, we should also massacre Tokyo. If we cannot do it directly, we should shoot a nuclear bomb into Tokyo."
In other words, it is a pretext for nuclear intimidation.
Takayama　
In order to prevent China from shooting a nuclear weapon in defense, it is necessary to let the world know that China's argument is wrong.
Sekihei
That is right.
The "contaminated water" scandal and the Nanking Incident are the same kind of problem in that they are good reasons for the massacre of Japanese people.
The world knows that China is lying, but not within China.
A dangerous situation is boiling over.
That is why the Japanese government should be more proactive in refuting the situation.
At the G20 meeting in India, Prime Minister Kishida asked for understanding and support from the governments of other countries and implicitly criticized China's response, saying, "Some countries are taking outstanding actions, such as suspending all imports of Japanese marine and fishery products for a time," but he should be more explicit.
Takayama.　
It is time to think about speech strategies.
I am reminded of Asahi again.
The Niigata Chuetsu-oki Earthquake occurred on March 16, 2007.
The Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Station (TEPCO) was shaken, and smoke came out of the substation.
It was an incipient fire, but Asahi made a big deal about a fire at the nuclear power plant.
Why do they like to make rumors?　
Later, TEPCO released a video showing that the nuclear fuel storage pool next to the light water reactor swung violently due to the quake, and a small amount of stored water overflowed from the pool.
The Asahi newspaper then used that announcement as the basis for a frenzy, claiming that water from the nuclear fuel pool had overflowed and flowed through a drainage ditch.
The pool contains ordinary water as a radiation moderator and shielding material.
However, since the water is a shielding material, it cannot be called "contaminated water" except tritium.
Several buckets of it leaked into the Sea of Japan.
The Asahi newspaper reported it as if it were "radioactive water from the nuclear fuel pools flowing out into the sea in droves.
It was just before the bathing season.
The vicious rumor by Asahi led to the cancellation of all beach openings on the Sea of Japan coast that year.
The damage amounted to about 3 billion yen, including beach houses and accommodations, and the victim, TEPCO, paid for it, not Asahi Shimbun, who had written the lie.　
It was an example of how to build up rumors.
Now, taking it to the Pacific side, China is following Asahi's example and creating rumors on a national scale.　
Asahi writes scenarios, and at various times it writes in the subatomic particles about where to attack, and Wang Wenbin makes a fuss.
Is there a mind-sharing relationship between the two, or is it possible that Asahi Shimbun is receiving a gratuity from Beijing in return (laughs)?
Sekihei
It is not only Asahi.
There are people among the Japanese who are making noises that the water is "contaminated.　
The Chinese government has prepared two stories to make the Chinese people believe it.
One is that Lee Jae-myung, the leader of the opposition Democratic Party of Korea, has started an indefinite hunger strike in front of the National Assembly building.
Takayama.　
Lee says this is to criticize Japan for discharging treated water from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant into the ocean, and the ruling party for trying to maintain such a relationship with Japan, but the Korean public seems to view this calmly.
They think it is just a political performance.
Sekihei
Another is Mizuho Fukushima, a member of the House of Councilors.
I attended a protest rally in Iwaki, Fukushima.
Nearly 500 people gathered, the placard at the rally read "contaminated water" in large letters, and the rally video was widely reported in China.
It fooled many Chinese people, thinking, "The Japanese themselves call it "contaminated water.''
Ms. Fukushima and the other Japanese who participated in the protest rally deserved to die.
If China launches a nuclear attack on Japan, how will the Japanese who participated in the protest explain themselves?　
There is not a single Chinese person in China who would defend the Japanese side's claims.
Within Japan, however, many Japanese defend the claims of the Chinese government.
Such voices come from the media, opposition party lawmakers, and celebrities.
Takayama.　
The Constitutional Democratic Party of Japan also has a lawmaker who ignores the party's position and makes a fuss about "contaminated water.
These are strange Japanese who cozy up to China.
Sekihei
What are the Japanese doing, giving China a false story?
It can be easily verified whether it is a lie or a fact.
Ideology has nothing to do with it.

There is no such thing as a great power's style.
Takayama　
China has become the world's second-largest economy and second only to the United States internationally, but can it be called a superpower?
U.S. Secretary of State William Blinken visited China in June and met with Wang Yi.
One of the central themes of the meeting was the issue of fentanyl.
Fentanyl, a painkiller 50 times stronger than morphine, was developed to alleviate the suffering of terminal cancer patients, but many people die of overdose every year in the United States.
Sekihei
In the U.S., in 2021, about two-thirds of the approximately 107,000 drug overdose deaths in the U.S. will be caused by fentanyl.
Takayama　
The U.S. side has complained to China since the Trump era that they should stop producing fentanyl.
The Biden administration also recently announced that it has issued arrest warrants for four pharmaceutical companies in China and eight executives there.
How can the country mentioned as such say that "China is a great power" or that "it is the restoration of the Chinese nation"?
As mentioned earlier, the central theme of the meeting between Blinken and Wang Yi was fentanyl.
It is appalling to think that this is what the two superpowers talk about in their top-level meetings.
Speaking of which, there is a problem in the Philippines.
China is trafficking workers in the Philippines to commit Internet fraud, and the Philippine government is upset.
In Japan, the "Foreign Offender Regulations" would stop such misdeeds overseas, but there is no such common sense in China.
Even after we allowed them to join the WTO, they ignored all international rules and stole intellectual property from other countries.
There is nothing in the air of a great power.
Spokesman Mao Ning is coolly chastising Japan for releasing treated water, but he has no self-discipline.
All over the world, all countries are better than China.
Sekihei　
The United States and other countries have been reflecting on how they dealt with China.
Since Nixon visited China in 1972, we have tried to incorporate China into Western values as much as possible.
By providing economic assistance, we hoped that China would eventually change as it became more affluent.
Takayama.　
However, everything has stayed the same in China.
Sekihei
Ultimately, China is nothing more than a rogue mafia state.
Takayama.　
You are going to say that much (laughs).
Mr. Sekihei has also published a book titled "The 12 Villains Who Made China" (PHP Shinsho).
Sekihei
They ignore international rules and distribute coronas around the world.
China has released its "2023 Standard National Land Map," which encroaches on the territorial waters and exclusive economic zones (EEZ) of Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Indonesia, and other countries.
Furthermore, it has even taken Indian and Russian territory into its territory.
It is inconceivable that such a China can share the same values as Western countries.　
Look at the Chinese who are studying abroad.
A Chinese woman studying in the U.K. protested in London, saying, "Japan is releasing 'contaminated water.
Since she is in the U.K., she can get as much information as possible.
Nevertheless, they are believing what the Chinese government is claiming.
Since they have gone to the trouble of studying in the U.K. and have had the opportunity to learn Western values, they should, at the very least, develop an attitude of respect for the facts, but they do not.
Takayama.　
Why not?
Sekihei
There is only one answer: "Because they are Chinese.
Takayama.　
There is nothing we can do about that (laughs).

Japanese "habit"
Sekihei
The international community has awakened from the "China illusion" in the ten years since the Xi Jinping administration.
We recognize the fact that China will never change.
Takayama　
I think we are moving in the direction of enclosing China.
Sekihei　
The United States was the first to take a hard-line stance toward China.
Bipartisan legislation on policies toward China, including semiconductor regulations, has been passed with an absolute majority.
In Europe, the intentions of each country are complicated.
France still has illusions about China, and Germany has a half-hearted attitude.
The most helpless is our country, Japan.
Takayama.　
That's right (laughs).
The Japanese people still harbor illusions about China.
The social activist of the Meiji and Taisho eras, Miyazaki Touten, dreamed of a revolution in China with Sun Yat-sen, and he wrote about it in his seminal book, "A 33-Year Dream.
Miyazaki wrote that when he saw Shanghai for the first time after braving the Huangpu River, "I couldn't stop crying.
I think it was just the stench that brought tears to my eyes.　
Japanese people have a habit of being honestly impressed and moved by China.
Even former Sankei reporter Kaori Fukushima said with a straight face, "Some Chinese people are more wonderful than Japanese people.
I have heard the same thing from many people who have been to China.
But I would like to ask those who say so.
If so many great Chinese people exist, why don't they build a decent country alone?
There is no essential learning at all.
Have they developed industries other than fentanyl and heroin that would surprise the world?
They think that intellectual property is something to be stolen from other countries.
What kind of superiority do the Chinese have that they have no shame in doing such a thing?
But why are the Japanese people, who are always made to suffer bitterly every time, being deceived repeatedly?
Are the Chinese that good with their mouths?
Sekihei
China is a world of 3,000-length gray hairs, so they have always been good at talking.
Takayama　
It's about time we realize who they are.
Sekihei　
However, Japan still has a prevailing tone that China can be solved through discussion.
Takeshi Niinami, president of Suntory and representative secretary of the Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), says, "China and Japan are inseparable (economically), and it is necessary to continue the dialogue." Still, for discussions to occur, there must be a minimum set of premises.
Respect for the facts and no lies.
However, the "contaminated water" fiasco has clarified that such premises are unacceptable to China.
They refuse to acknowledge any facts at all.
If that is the case, there can be no dialogue.
We should again understand that China is a country completely different from our values.
Takayama　
The pro-China faction in the government is simply being treated as if it were a bunch of fools.
Sekihei
They were proud that they had a pipeline to China and that they could resolve the problem through talks with China if push came to shove.
However, even former Secretary General Toshihiro Nikai, a significant figure in the pro-China camp, refused to visit China.
Takayama.　
It is really shameful.
The pro-China factions within the government are treated as such and of no use whatsoever.
Sekihei
It is not a clash of civilizations.
The opponent is a barbarian nation, so it is a "clash between civilization and barbarism."
There is a hopeless rupture.
This incident has made me keenly aware that the mindset of the Chinese people will never change, even if China democratizes.
When I think about it, the Japanese people of the Meiji period were sagacious.
Yukichi Fukuzawa advocated "leaving Asia and entering Europe'' and said we should apologize to neighboring countries that we cannot do anything about.
That is what he said.
Takayama.　
It is time for the Japanese to remember the spirit of Fukuzawa Yukichi, who said there was no need to greet China and Korea and take the right path as a nation.