Having lost my homeland in Ukraine and found refuge in this beautiful country, I cherish the peace of Japan with all my heart—the stillness of the cherry blossoms, the courtesy of its people, and above all, the ordinary, flowing tranquility of daily life.
Yet, whenever I hear the debate surrounding this peace, my mind is seized by a cold terror, as if I’ve been transported back to the battlefield.
Every day, the news sensationalizes phrases like “Taiwan Contingency” and “Existence-Threatening Situation”—the condition for Japan’s Self-Defense Forces deployment.
These terms should convey an existential urgency, one that promises an irreversible upheaval of the nation’s life.
Instead, we are presented with the overly-calm analysis of experts on TV panels and the strangely detached rhetoric of politicians.
It feels as if they are discussing the scenario of a distant video game, completely insulated from reality.
This is not merely the “sweet carelessness of peace” (Heiwaboke).
It is a fatal lack of crisis awareness.
