Regarding the Sept. 20 editorial "Cooler heads needed over islet row": In my opinion, Tokyo Gov. Shintaro Ishihara's dream of destabilizing Japan to promote his son's political ambitions — at the risk of provoking war with China — is coming true. The bitter old man is a symbol of Japan's past, which just won't let go of the present until it has been rendered futile by his machinations.
Ishihara has orchestrated the present crisis, apparently believing himself to be a superior being to all around him. He has pushed Japan's collapsing government into purchasing disputed rocky islets in the middle of nowhere and thus enraging China.
The opinions expressed in this letter to the editor are the writer's own and do not necessarily reflect the policies of The Japan Times.
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