As a board member of The Academy of Outrageous Books, Shunichi Karasawa sees parallels between the controversial essay written by sacked Air Self-Defense Force chief Toshio Tamogami, an apologist for Japan's wartime aggression, and classic "outrageous" conspiracy theories.
A prominent commentator on "otaku" (geek) culture, Karasawa is also a columnist, radio and television celebrity, and book reviewer for the Asahi Shimbun.
Commenting on the Tamogami case, Karasawa notes that people who are tired of other nations criticizing Japan over its wartime past easily swallow the ideas of "outrageous" conspiracy theorists who give them simplified answers to a complicated issue.