TAEF recently had the honor of hosting Professor Shigeto Sonoda of the Advanced Institute on Asian Studies at Tokyo University for a presentation on his recent research comparatively evaluating Japanese perspectives on Taiwan vs. China. The findings revealed that the Japanese public tended to feel a greater sense of intimacy, have a higher level of interest in, and have greater trust in the media of Taiwan than China, despite a majority lacking social connections to both.
However, the reasons for a sense or lack thereof intimacy and interest, as well as the areas of interest, differed among genders and generations, with the greatest differences being between younger females and older males. Professor Sonoda’s research has revealed significant insights into Japanese perspectives on Taiwan and China, as well as raising important questions about how Japanese public opinion may affect the decisions made by Japanese policymakers in preparation for a Taiwan contingency.
You can now