The Japan That Can Say ‘No’

"The Japan That Can Say 'No'" is a nationalist essay co-written by Shintaro Ishihara and Akio Morita in 1989. The essay argued that Japan should reduce its reliance on the United States and accused Americans of anti-Japanese racism. It became a bestseller in Japan and was later published in English, though without Morita's contributions. Ishihara, a writer and politician who later served as governor of Tokyo, used the essay to promote his views on Japanese nationalism and independence. The essay emerged during a period when Japan faced economic challenges and perceived discrimination from Western nations, contributing to a growing sentiment of self-reliance and a desire for Japan to assert its own interests on the global stage.12