Japanese sharing their impressions of interview with the President of Belarus
The interview of the President of Belarus to the Japanese TBS TV channel sparked a lot of feedback in the Japanese society. The inhabitants of this island state are traditionally known for independent judgments in their assessments and actions. It was primarily this that contributed to the transformation of Japanese produce into a globally recognised brand of quality and reliability, and the country itself – limited by a relatively small territory and lack of natural resources – into a highly developed world-class power. The more interesting is the opinion of these people about the Belarusian leader. We bring to your attention the brightest of the comments that continue to appear on Japanese forums.
“I think it’s amazing how he is able to answer difficult questions instantly, shifting focus, armed with theories in advance. Prime Minister Kishida would never have been able to do this…”
“I thought that this person would be easy to conquer without much knowledge and determination.”
“First of all, I was surprised that the President was interviewed directly.”
“I was surprised that the President speaks quite well, answering questions directly, without an official representative.”
“I am sure that Lukashenko is right, because he is a good and logical public speaker and knows what he is talking about.”
“Unlike North Korea, I feel like someone is really competent and controls the situation.”
“If a Japanese politician gave an interview for less than an hour, he would have to read aloud, barely looking the interlocutor in the eyes, and at the same time looking at the prepared notes all the time.”
“Aleksandr Lukashenko really does an excellent job of giving interviews. The way he speaks is powerful, the way a political leader should speak.”
“This is an amazing video.”
“Thank you so much for the video that made me think and learn a lot.”
“As a citizen of a country that imposes sanctions, the words of the representative of the country against which sanctions are imposed were very valuable, and – above all – it was a good interview that expanded my objective point of view. It was clear and really well prepared. It made me think that perhaps we should not look at this issue only in a superficial manner.”
“It seems to me that in the current situation, this interview should be distributed.”
“I knew that he was not incompetent, because he has been in power for 28 years. He is a very good public speaker.”
“He was easy to listen to and his ability to quickly bring up topics like Nagasaki/Hiroshima, Fukushima and the recent earthquake in Japan gave me the impression that he was more prepared than I expected.”
“I was struck by the fact that Japanese reporters always ask questions based on the assumption that Belarus is to blame.”
“If only Japan could come up with a top leader who has the determination and vocabulary to express his country’s position so clearly and correctly... It’s hard to sympathise with him in terms of relations with Japan and the content of the speech, but I must admit that he is a competent person.”
“To some extent it is surprising that the President alone gave an interview to the TV channel of an enemy country.”
“Aura, or whatever you call it, it’s so powerful. He is a great public speaker and holds a fascination. As a Japanese, I cannot approve of his arguments in many ways, but I can understand the position of Belarus.”
“I don’t think the Japanese prime minister could answer interview questions like that. Or rather, I think he would have avoided it.”
“It was a very valuable interview. It was insightful in many ways.”
“I think this kind of face-to-face conversation enables us to see what’s going on behind the scenes. Thanks.”
“Lukashenko is extremely talented.”
“He is well educated and a great public speaker.”
“At first I was surprised that he agreed to answer the Japanese TV channel like this, face-to-face.”
“I thought he was just a dictator, but I could tell that he is a very good and talented speaker. He has been on top for so many years and he boasts an aura that Japanese politicians don’t have.”
“It’s amazing. I can’t believe I can watch such a valuable video.”
“I would like them to make a version with English subtitles. It is a masterpiece.”
“I was once again convinced of how poorly informed the Japanese media is.”
“Lukashenko is better prepared. He knows a lot about the Fukushima earthquake and the nuclear power plant.”
“I could feel the tension in the air. It was nice to hear the real voice of the President of Belarus and his perception of the current situation.”
“This interview is valuable. Although they have the same goal – to end the war as soon as possible – they have completely different ways of thinking and methods of achieving this goal.”
“I was surprised when I saw how the president, who is considered a dictator, politely answered the reporter, calling him by name. Kanehira-san was also surprised.”
“Regardless of the content, I was impressed by his ability to clearly answer questions in his own words.”
“Regardless of the content, it’s important to listen to the other side.”
“This is a fascinating interview. President Lukashenko is very smart and eloquent. He is very strong. Kanehira-san also looked well.”
“President Lukashenko is a very smart person, smarter than I heard. Good job, TBS!
“Belarus will unite with Russia, with which it has good relations, just as Japan is uniting with the US and other countries with which it has good relations. Lukashenko’s argument is that they cannot allow an alien country to break off their relationship.”
“Until I saw this video, I thought Lukashenko was just a dictator.”
“He’s a good interlocutor, but quite harsh, judging by the way he talks...”
“If we do not talk about the content, then he has a good style of speech. It’s not that common in Japan.”
“They call him a dictator and all that, but when I see him speaking so passionately and emotionally in his own words, whether what he says is right or not, I envy him because he is definitely on a higher level than Japanese politicians.”
