YAMASAKI Seiko
In Japan there have been movements "From Europe into Asia" on two occasions: firstly in the late 19th century, and secondly after the end of the Second World War. The first time was a reaction against "From Asia into Europe" by Fukuzawa Yukichi, Asia's Voltaire, and the second was a mass movement on the tide of reviving patriotism after the period of self-flagellation. The second is accepted by the majority of Japanese, symbolising the reactionary tendency in the country.
I do not see it like that. East and West are not geographical but historical concepts.
There is a current of thought that regards history as a process of developing freedom. I accept this and regard the West as the fatherland of freedom, while Asia symbolises the lack of freedom: to quote from Hegel's philosophy of history, in Asia the human spirit is still submerged in nature and the individual, who has not yet acquired the right of freedom as a subjective personality, depends on natural accidents. That Asian principle is the basis of Japanese imperialism and even today of the reactionary regime. The theme of the present World Congress has not a historical but a topical significance in this host country.